


You hacked my heart

by Dragonposeidon



Series: Golden Runway [1]
Category: Queen of Thieves (Voltage Visual Novel), The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: Art, Canon - Video Game, F/F, Hacking, Robbery, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 04:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 27,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21511477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonposeidon/pseuds/Dragonposeidon
Summary: With her ironic and sarcastic sense of humor, Emily Charleton keeps everyone at arm's length. But when she needs the help of Andrea Sachs to keep the Golden Runway out of Elias-Clarke's radar (A division of Interpol) Andrea takes a closer look at what's behind the redhead. Can she go past the firewall around Emily's heart?
Relationships: Emily Charlton/Andrea Sachs
Series: Golden Runway [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1550461
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Given the number of comments on this subject on all my stories, I will change the style of my writing so that the quotation marks become the words and the (...) thoughts in italics, that will do one chapter at a time 
> 
> I also specify that only my story of the assistant of Minerva has a beta (thank you again seriesly ) so the rest of my stories could still have faults, hoping that this does not prevent you from appreciating them

For Andrea Sachs, a young woman with long brown hair and brown doe eyes, from Cincinnati, Ohio, today is her last day in the big city of New York. She gets up for the millionth time in the setting of her art stand. No one has yet bought one of her works, but the day is still young.

_(Come on, Big Break, I need you now!)_

If not, Andrea will have to go back to Cincinnati, Ohio, find a 'real' job and listen to her parents tell her they told her so.

 _(But I have to work so far for abandoned now!)_  
"Hmm?" Andrea does as if something touches her leg.

It's a huge dog: 

A tall St.Bernard, with a luxurious necklace with a medallion adorned with an R and seeming to be in pure gold.  
"Where are you from, my beautiful girls?" Andrea asks after noticing that the animal is a female.

She bends down to flatter her and the dog moves back, tail and ears down, glancing imperiously over the young woman's shoulder.

_(Would not it be good if she belonged to a famous art critic, about to cross my path? Or a wonderful millionaire who will buy all my works because she speaks to her, or a gallant princess from a foreign country who will discover me today and want to be my boss, we would be rich and travel around the world ... and then she would fall in love with me! Why limit a good daydream, huh?)_

Andrea looks up when a shadow falls on her table. The woman who has approached is stunning with elegant short white hair and deep blue eyes. Andrea has almost fallen into another fantasy on the golden runway: 

The world-famous thieves guild.

_(The news kept calling their leader the 'Queen of Thieves' when I watched TV yesterday, the name sounded a bit cheesy, but when I tried to imagine who it might agree, was totally to someone like this woman that I thought. )_

The lady is dressed as if she were at the opera, a black skirt and blazer on a white blouse and shod in black Prada. She scans Andrea's table with a majestic and selfless look.  
"Hello!" Smiles the young woman.

Andrea keeps her megawatt smile and rejects the rest of her reverie.

 _(Maybe she can be this Miranda a few things or whatever, the queen of thieves, in my head ... but she can be a paying customer in real life!)_  
"You see something that you like?" She asks the other woman. If you have any questions, tell me!  
"Oh, that already tells me everything," the unknown responds by making a gesture to Andrea's table with a wrist, showing high-end black gloves. "You are a recent graduate of the School of Fine Arts, these oil paintings ... the first works? There is a hesitation in your brushstrokes, I can only assume that your family disapproves, but look how you prosper, you would certainly be acceptable if you did not lack concentration."  
"Focus? Excuse me?" Is indignant Andrea.  
"You are a girl to do everything and a master to all, if you forgive an abominable hackneyed expression."

_(At least I'm not the one who showed up at the park and looks like a movie antagonist, is not it a little early for such a chic costume?)_

The blue eyes of the woman sweep again the assortment on the table of Andrea:

Painting, sculpture, needlework ...  
"You are the kind of person who can not be satisfied with something," continues the woman. "And with the sweetness of all your lines, and the bold use of color ...!"  
"It's called Impressionist influence!" Andrea Cut.  
"You are an idealist ... a romantic," said the woman curving her lip as she touches a watercolor and decides not to take it.  
"You do not have to say it like it's a bad thing," sighs Andrea.

The white-haired woman moves on, as if she were looking for something specific.  
"This work here," she said. "With bold black lines ... not copies, but a skillful tribute to Amelia Peláez, if I'm not mistaken."

The way she says that gives the impression that she is never wrong.

 _(But in this case, I'm too excited to be bothered by that.)_  
"Yes! Do you know Cuban vanguard art?" Andrea asks. "This piece is part of a study I did recently, I wanted to try to fuss my own style with something more related to the legacy of my maternal grandmother, and ..."

But the other woman has already passed, continuing her thought from earlier.  
"Your idealistic series has put you in trouble about employment, is not it? So far, no work fits your idea of what an artist's life should be, and now you have to go back to your boring little hometown and admit defeat tomorrow, judging by the overwhelming despair your world."

Andrea becomes suspicious.  
"How do you know that?"

The other woman does not answer and Andrea is too eager to care.  
"I'm good at what I do," she said. "There is nothing wrong with fighting for the right opportunity."

That makes the royal woman smile.  
"May be," she said.

The dog barks at the two women.  
"I can ask you questions about your art, miss ...?"

 _(So, she does not know roof, huh?)_  
"Only Andy is fine, I am an open book."

The royal woman starts asking questions almost faster than Andy can answer. But she does not ask about the originals: 

She is totally focused on replica of the young woman. And all the while, she does not even look at Andy's art. Her blue eyes are on the brunette, drinking as if she was in an exhibition all alone.  
"I am ... satisfied," she said finally.

Andy tries not to blush when the other woman stops the conversation and turns to leave.

 _(She did not even want to buy anything!)_  
"You will not take your dog?" Andy asks, looking at St.Bernard.

The royal woman pauses, staring at her with another piercing look over her shoulder.  
"What makes you think she's mine?"  
"Well, you know she's a female, you just said, and she's about as pretentious as you are."

The woman's blue eyes shine with amusement in a way that cuts Andy's breath. She turns to leave without answering. The dog sniffs the plastic tablecloth of the young woman's display and then goes off in pursuit of the white-haired woman.

_(If she was not going to buy my art, why was she interested?)_

**Andrea has to pack up when the sun goes down...**

She had promised a school friend to go to the art gallery she was opening that night.

_(But I'm not on the plane yet!)_

**As she heads in the right direction, the glittering window of a jewelery shop catches her eye...**

Through the glass, an elegant hand grabs a necklace and Andy pursues the view on a thin wrist, a graceful arm, a swan neck and an incredibly beautiful exotic face. For a moment, the long-haired, silver-eyed woman looks at Andy. Then she smiled and looped a finger: gesturing to the young woman to come inside the jewelry.

 _(Me?)_  
Andy takes a look in the street, but she is the only person nearby. The other woman laughs through the window before deliberately saying:  
"Yes you."

Curious, Andy is heading. The woman waving her hand this time, Andy hears her laugh, light and golden.  
"You are not in a hurry, are you?" Ask the charming woman. "I need a second opinion."

 _(I'll be late if I stay ... but for this woman? Suddenly, being late seems to be fine.)_  
"On what?" Andy asks.  
"A question of fashion, querida," said the woman, pointing to the necklace she is wearing, dropping pink pearls. "I have an important event tonight, is it too much?"  
"It's beautiful," answers the brunette.

The woman sighs and studies another necklace: 

This one is made of simple white pearls.  
"Do you put this one, so that I can see the difference?" She turns Andy, gathering the hair of the young woman on her shoulder.

_(She asked it as a question, but in a way, it looks like an order.)_

The necklace is hot from Andy's skin when he pulls it off, while it was cool when put on her neck at first. When the necklace is gone, the other woman weighs each necklace in her hands.  
"What should I choose? I lean toward the one to elaborate."  
"They look good both, but why what it's worth, it's a fake amateur," Andy responds.  
"Oh?"

The red lips of the woman are uninterested.  
"Real pearls do not absorb body heat," says Andy. "If you were just trying to wear necklaces, you should not feel colder than another."  
"And how did you know that?"  
"I am an artist," Andy proudly answers. "Sometimes I work with jewelry."

The other woman smiles and leans forward, so close that she can whisper in the brunette's ear.

 _(Her perfume smells wonderful.)_  
"I'm so glad you understand," breathes the woman.

There is something dark and thrilling in the Brazilian accent that stings Andy's skin. The spell is suddenly broken when the young woman's phone rings. An automatic reminder of her calendar.  
"Nice to help you," she said. "But I ... something!"

Slightly frightened, she smiles and hurries out of the jeweler's shop.

_(She said I understood something, but what?)_

**Andy is still upset when she arrives at the art gallery...**

So much that she jostles someone.  
"Sorry!" Said she embarrassed.

_(Not anyone, but a woman who might as well have invented the women's tux.)_

The woman with medium red hair and emerald green eyes frowns while adjusting her knot at the same color as her eyes.  
"Are you OK?" Andy asks.  
"Well," said the woman with a slight British accent, her voice fresh and dry.  
"Euh ... are you making your debut tonight?" The brunette asks shyly.

The redhead growls.  
"No," she said. "I'm just here to watch, not that they have a lot to see, everything is so simplistic."  
"It's not about the complexity of his appearance," Andy replies. "But from the commentary that he presents, even a black dot on a white canvas uses space and contrast with great care, getting something to feel simple can be the most complicated part!"  
"And this super boring vase?"

The redhead nods to a porcelain work, placed on a white pedestal in the center of the room.  
"There's a lot going on there," Andy said. "Look at the details in the painting and the experimental use of the glazing, I have seen similar works win five million dollars!"  
"It's not because something is expensive that it's good art," replies the other woman. "Look at this one."

She gestures to their left, where many blank screens are installed. It's called 'Millenials'.  
"Oh ..." Andy. "A statement on the dependence on the screen ..."  
"Yes, really ridiculous, I can do better."

The redhead takes out her phone and long nimble fingers fly over her keyboard. Instantly, the screens start flashing, emitting soft colors and music in superimpositions. People who visit the art gallery stop to watch.  
"Have you just hacked the art of this person ?!" Andy asks astonished and also impressed.  
"No, you dream," said the other woman sarcastically before looking at the calculating brunette. "You are obviously an artist, can I see your phone? Let's put your works here, instead of these blank screens."

_(But ... I have not gained a place in this gallery ... and if it's my only chance to be noticed, though?)_

Andy takes out her phone instinctively and the redhead pulls it with her fingers. After a few expert shots, the art of the young woman appears everywhere on the screen.  
"What about the original artist?" Andy asks.  
"If he did not want their art stolen, he should have come up with a better concept," the other woman snapped.

Even with her nerves, Andy is struck by a wave of admiration.

 _(She is so daring!)_  
"I'm done," said the redhead, handing her phone to the brunette and studying her art. "Yes, it's a lot better than it used to be."

This is not a praise in itself, but from her, it feels badly to win. Andy can not help but smile.  
"Thank you a lot," she said almost breathless. "You have no idea how much it means to me."

The redhead smiled, bright and full, warmer than the lights shining above her head. As soon as she realizes she does, she bites her lower lip to make it disappear.

 _(But it's such a pretty smile, like an art all by itself, I wish I could see it longer.)_  
Before Andy can think of anything to say, the other woman nods to the vase in the middle of the room.  
"What is this guy doing up there?" Does request. "Now, that's what I call art."

Andy follows her gaze to see ...


	2. Show and race

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrea meets three other strangers, she finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together in relation to the events of her crazy day and she has to make a choice that could change her life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter  
> Do not hesitate to comment

**A bald man with glasses and chic dressing is pouring black sand from a brocade bag directly onto the floor of the art gallery...**

He bypasses the pedestal of the vase that Andy and the British had to look rather. The man connects the sand curves and wraps them in a larger pattern.

_(The art of performance?)_

He is dressed to the extreme: A pocket watch crafted and all in elegance. He looks up behind his designer glasses with a friendly smile bright enough to cut diamonds.  
"This part is interactive," he says. "I need a public assistant."

His eyes sweep the crowd, passing over the redhead in costume ... And his gaze landed on Andy. She feels an electric shock as her smile widens.  
"You!" Exclaims the man. "Come here! You are an artist too, right?"

_(Whatever he does, he obviously has fun!)_

The man pulls out a notebook of matches and strikes a live one.  
"Do you do the honors, darling?" He asks Andy.

The young woman looks at the flame as a dark, smoky odor rises from the ground.

 _(One moment ... it's not sand, it's gunpowder!)_  
"The art of gunpowder?" Said Andy surprised. "I heard about it, but I have never seen it in action!"  
"I can show you a lot of things you've never seen before," the man answers with an amused look.  
"You seem pretty confident," the young woman remarked, reaching for the match and removing it from the man's hand.  
"You think you can handle a little heat?"  
"Oh, I can bear it."  
"I do not know if I'm convinced ..."  
"It's you who chose me!" Andy Cut. "Besides, it's not dangerous, right?"

The man's eyes are brighter than the flame between the brunette's fingers.  
"All pleasure is in danger," he said. "Is not it just life?"

The man's smile is so excited that Andy can not help but give it back to him. She throws the match at their foot. The gunpowder ignites and the fire slips on the carefully drawn lines as if Andy had started a falling of dominoes. But a spark catches the eyes of the young woman and her heart leaps to see the trail away from the screen.

_(Hey, where are you ...? I can not let that burn down the rest of the art gallery!)_

Andy starts running after the spark, but the man is faster, returning the brunette. He throws an arm around Andy's shoulders, the jacket stretched over her like a wing. An explosion shakes the room, making the woman's ears ring and making her stumble. The man continues to protect her as the glass falls from the now broken ceiling. The smoke filled the place and is just as quickly carried away by the roaring blades of a helicopter.  
"What is going on?" Said Andy.

The man does not answer her. He sprints for the vase, grabbing it and jumping on a ladder exiting the helicopter. He gives Andy a salute and an amused wink.  
"Thank you for your help, darling!"

And then the helicopter gets up and he's gone. Gunpowder disperses in the wind, but the traces of burn on the ground remain: in the form of a large R put on a flower, but not any flower ... a poppy!

 _(It's the symbol of the Golden Runway!)_  
"Are you fine?!" Ask for a soft voice.

A red-haired woman with grey eyes appears in front of Andy as the crowd screams and disentangles.  
"I saw everything," adds the woman. "For a moment, I thought this guy was going to take you to the helicopter too."

She looks at Andy with tender eyes and then raises her hand towards the brunette's face.  
"There is glass in your hair here," she says.

Andy is too puzzled to talk, but when she does not protest, the red-haired woman gently rubs her in comfort.  
"I am named Jocelyne."  
"Andy," the young woman whispers her nickname instinctively trying to deal with the explosion.

 _(Why does her name sound so familiar to me?)_  
"We must get you out of here quickly," said Jocelyne, taking Andy's hand gently.

This thawed the brunette's feet. The two women hurry to cross the crowd.  
"Wait, where are we going?" Andy asks suddenly.  
"I know you do not have the Golden Runway," said Jocelyne. "But security could act first and ask questions later, you do not want that, trust me."

_(She's right, I did not even think about that!)_

**The two women go out on the streets of New York...**

Andy breathes fresh evening air.  
"What should I do now?" She asks worriedly.  
"You go home," Jocelyne replied softly. "You're innocent, you do not deserve to be stopped by the police, do you have your cell on you? You should take a ride."

Andy searches her bag for her phone and opens the carpool app.  
"Give it to me, I'll help you, your fingers are still shaking," said Jocelyne sympathetically, taking the cell phone to handle it.

The driver, a fat, bald-looking but friendly guy named Roy, arrives in the car indicated by the carpool app.  
"Thank you very much, Jocelyne."  
"Of course," replied the redhead, smiling. "Until we see each other, darling."

_(To see each other again?)_

Something rubs in the belly of Andy to the warmth of Jocelyne's smile. Suddenly sweetness turns into teasing.  
"Andy, what is it?"

Jocelyne reaches out into Andy's bag and slowly pulls a pearl necklace.

 _(Jewelery beads, how did they get in my bag?!)_  
"Well, it looks like you're not as innocent as you seem," smiles the amused redhead.

 _(You no longer apparently!)_  
"I did NOT steal them!" Made Andy. "I am not a thief!"

The other woman seems to find that funny.  
"I'm going to stick to that, naughty girl," she said smiling and slipping the collar into her jacket with a knowing wink. "People already think that you are with the golden Runway."

**Before Andy can react, Jocelyne closes the door and the car takes off with the brunette inside...**

The road ahead fades as Andy tries to understand everything.  
"Are you OK?" Asks Roy gently.

The young woman glances at him. The man keeps his eyes on the road, but concern is evident on his face.  
"It's been a strange day," Andy replies, sighing.

_(At least it was not boring!)_

The police sirens sound behind Andy and Roy's car.  
"And it's not over yet, huh?" The young woman frowns.

_(Oh no, is it the golden Runway or the stolen pearls? Or both? Jocelyne could have directed them to me as a distraction!)_

Roy sighs as red and blue lights flash in his rearview mirror.  
"Put on your belt," he said to Andy. "I have a lot of experience in road escape."  
"You what?!"  
"Trust me, you do NOT want to go to jail."

The young woman automatically attaches her seat belt and as soon as she does, the driver pushes the accelerator. Roy goes so fast that it hurts Andy in her seat.  
"Do not worry," said the man. "I will protect you."

**He sneaks easily into the New York traffic...**

Hopping on the sidewalk, ricocheting in a bend. Andy screams, but Roy looks as calm as if he were in a bibliography. He puts a muscular arm around the young woman's shoulders during another frantic bend, protecting her from bumping into the window forcefully.  
"You know, you do not look like a troublemaker," Roy said, looking at Andy with a slight amusement.

Andy tries to stay calm.  
"I'm because I'm not! I promise!"  
"Well, now I'll believe you," Roy said, and without warning he stopped short, throwing an arm.

Andy hits a firm, warm muscle instead of hitting her face against the dashboard.  
"I did not have to do this trick for a long time," says the driver.

With his free hand, Roy puts the car in reverse and moves them back at high speed. Losing the police, the driver returns the vehicle and leaves in the opposite direction of the police.  
"I got them," said Roy proudly.

For a moment, Andy can only focus on her staggering stomach, but the lights of the city fade and the car finally stops.

_(It's probably too optimistic for me to expect him to take me back to my apartment, right?)_

**Indeed, when Andy glances out the window, they are in an air shed...**

"Wait," Roy said as he stepped out of the car and headed for the passenger side and opened the young woman's door for her.

Roy tends a firm hand and maintains deliberate eye contact.  
"Remember what I promised you," he said to Andy. "I'll keep you safe, no matter what happens here, nobody's going to hurt you, okay?"

Andy does not even know how to answer that.

_(What will happen next?)_

She's nervous, but Roy helps her get away from the police. She lets him help her get out of the car and tries to find her balance on shaky legs. There is a roar then a violent wind rises around them. Roy stands in front of Andy to protect her from the shock when a helicopter lands.

_(Not a helicopter, but the helicopter of the art gallery!)_

The machine touches the ground and the man of the gunpowder jumps out of the apparatus, coming down just behind him is to be ...

_(The beautiful art hacker?)_

The two are laughing together.  
"Roy, did you see the landing?" Asks the redhead. "It was all computers! We do not need you anymore to drive."  
"I beat you again here," replied the amused driver. "You owe me a beer."  
"Emily, you always lose when you bet," said the gunpowder man to the British.  
"You bet I can not put a helicopter with my tablet," Emily reminds him. "So you owe me TWO glasses, Nigel!"

The man named Nigel is only smiling.  
"And I see that our charming assistant has arrived here in one piece!" Said he.

Before Andy can open her mouth, a limousine arrives and parks near them.  
Jocelyne comes out of the luxury vehicle with a winning smile and opens the door on the other side. She bows to the hand of another woman who takes it and emerges gracefully from the limo.

 _(The Brazilian lady of jewelery ?!)_  
"And here, Serena," Jocelyne finished helping the other woman get off the limousine.  
"Thanks, Jocelyne, always so charming," answers the Brazilian.

All this meets for Andy: This whole day is part of their plan, part of their holdup ...  
"You are the golden Runway," said she before pointing Nigel. "And you made me help you with your holdup so you could take me! And Serena put the pearl necklace in my bag so Jocelyne can pick it up later! And when she supposedly helped me call Roy ..."

Andy turns to Emily.   
"You arranged this when you had my phone at the art gallery!"  
"It took you a moment to understand," replies the British. "But ... you're fine there."

Emily smiles mockingly.  
"It did not really have a second of free to think, Em," Roy said.  
"He is right," says Jocelyne. "I think we should give she a lot more credit."

Serena smiles at Andy, her bright silver eyes.  
"You put the pieces together," she said. "But you are mistaken about our motives, we do not intend to make you fall for us for anything."

Andy's mind turns and she tries to make it work the same way as when she plans a difficult artistic composition.  
"Why do I get involved, though?" She asks puzzled. "You are famous!"

The golden runway has managed holdups supposed to be totally impossible by making them look child's play.  
"You did not need ME to steal this vase or this pearl necklace," adds the young woman.

Something gives Andy a gentle blow to the hip and she lowers her eyes to see the St. Bernard's rather today. The young woman turns to approach the royal lady with white hair and blue eyes that she now knows to be really Miranda, leader of the Golden Runway.  
"Our goal has never been to steal the vase or even that necklace," Miranda said. "We wanted to steal YOU."

_(Me?!)_

Everyone looks at Andy: not in peeping, but with curiosity and smiling. The heart of the young woman begins to run.

 _(This group of people, who lead thrilling lives, who refuse to follow the rules and live in total luxury ... they want ME?)_  
"What are you talking about?" Andy asks.  
"I would explain more to Paris," replied Miranda. "Come with us."

She turns and heads to the plane in the center of the hangar as if she expects others to hurry obediently after her.

_(Paris, FRANCE ?! The City of Light?)_

Jocelyne steps towards Andy.  
"We want your help on our next flight," she says.  
"You're deliciously versatile," Serena says, purring almost the last word. "Miranda says your replies were acceptable too."  
"She's as close as she comes to admit she's impressed," Jocelyne snorts.  
"And you can handle a small action!" Nigel enthuses, winking at Andy.  
"Of course," Emily says. "We will not force you to come, we are thieves, not kidnappers."

Roy nods, crossing his arms.

_(That's right, he said no one would hurt me.)_

Jocelyne's smile, of a disarming kindness, contrasts with the glitter of her eyes.  
"But we would like ... soften the case somewhat," she said.

Emily shows Andy the screen of her tablet: zooming in on a picture of the brunette's face.

 _(I'm already in the news? ... and sought after ...)_  
"The police are definitely after you," said the British.  
"You could escape with us, of course," Serena says. "I do not like your chances if you stay here alone."  
"So consider this as the official job offer of your dreams," adds Jocelyne.  
"Give me a second," Andy replies.

Andy holds out her arms firmly forward. The others respect her space as she reflects as quickly as possible.

_(The blackmail is not cool at all, but by staying here ... even if I managed to erase my name, I will still be forced to go back to Ohio, live with my parents with their disappointment.)_

Andy looks up at the others and slowly lowers her arms. This guild made a complete robbery to hire her!

_(Is not that what I expected? Excitement? Adventure? To escape an ordinary and banal life? It's like a child's dream coming true at last.)_

Andy could give up all that ... or she can reach out and take what's right in front of her. Her heart races when she stands straight and determined.  
"Let's go to Paris!"


	3. Welcome to the city of light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Golden Runway more Andy is now in France, Andy sees the place of residence of the group in Paris and she discovers what the thieves want from she

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this story, Jocelyne is French
> 
> Do not hesitate to comment

Andy feels the pressure of her forefinger and thumb on the skin of her forearm. Her brown eyes open sharply as she shudders a little.

_(All this is real!)_

Emily smiles slightly as her delicate fingers slip on her phone, never looking up from the screen. It's almost as if she could read Andy's thoughts and bewildered she.  
Serena's hand slides gently on Andy's arm where the pinch still stings the young woman a little.  
"Warning, querida, you will leave a mark."

 _(At least I'll know it's not a dream.)_  
"It's amazing. Andy said.

**She looking at the Parisian streets around her...**

"I smell butter croissants baking in pastries!"   
"You're definitely in the right place for your treat," Miranda smirked.  
"I can see the architectures perfect in every detail of these monuments of magnificence!" Add the young woman.  
"You can see hundreds of years in the past?" Nigel teases.  
"And do not launch me on the Seine," continues Andy ignoring the man. "I'm getting lost!"  
"He says a good face slap works to calm the hysteria," says Emily.

Andy drinks the sight around her. The buildings, sidewalks and clutter-clad stone facades of the most fashionable houses she has ever seen.  
"How can you walk down these cobblestone streets without even stopping for a moment to notice the beautiful enchantment of this city?" She asks Emily still stuck on her phone. "Maybe you are crazy."

The redhead looks up from the phone for a split second, the two women's eyes meet and Emily returns to what she was doing.  
"Oh, Em is in love," does Nigel. "Absolutely in love, crazy about what she's doing."

Nigel show Andy a surveillance camera perched on a lamppost, the camera moves slowly away from their group as they approach.  
"Luckily for us, right?" Said the man smiling.  
"Do not leave anything to chance, do you?" Made Andy.  
"No," replies Miranda. "We do not do it."

_(I had almost forgotten the current affairs, the Golden Runway, they are known around the world for their skill and expertise, and they want me to work with them?)_

Emily's nimble fingers are typing on her phone screen, she works effortlessly, the surveillance screens fading as their group passes.  
"It's not good," said the redhead. "It's meticulous, I pay attention and I notice everything."

 _(So the greatness of Paris is not lost for her, there is a quiet intensity in her that really intrigues me.)_  
"I suppose Paris are just secrets that unfold on every corner for you," Andy says. "Waiting to be discovered, tell me what you found!"  
"Not so much," sighs Emily.  
"How can this be?" Asks the young woman. "It's the city of light!"

Emily sighs again clearly bored by the endless stream of questions from Andy, but she still responds to the young woman.  
"I have my place in the city, PBJS and skatepark, nothing that can make much of them."  
"Do not forget that tiny pub with microbrews," Nigel says.  
"So, an exploration adventure of Paris is in order!" Enthusiasts Andy.  
"Why do not you give she the basics, Jocelyne?" Emily asks. "It's your hood after all."

Jocelyne smiles, pleased to satisfy Emily's request.  
"Paris is an inconstant lover," she told Andy. "She'll tell you a story in her day, my dear Andy."  
"I like this!" Does the youngest.

**The group walks quietly through the city with Emily's invisibility cloak to protect them...**

_(It's strange how someone I do not even know can make me feel so safe, and that life difference can make a single day, only yesterday I was sentenced to life in Ohio and today, I'm in Paris in France with a world-class thief coterie, I'm flattered, but I do not know if I can take that away, or if I want anyway, all this criminal stuff? it's a job, an adventure of a lifetime, it's now or never.)_

Andy takes a deep, calming breath.  
"Looks like we have a lot of work to do," she says.  
"Later," Miranda says. "They are close."  
"Who?" Asks the young woman.  
"Our tail," Serena says.  
"Someone follows us?" Andy worries.  
"Always." Miranda answers as if it were the obvious thing.

Andy thought she was impressed by the opulence of the hotel lobbies.

**The group climbed up to the Golden Runway's penthouse suite...**

But the sumptuousness of the suite herself shame the rest of the hotel. Serena immediately drapes herself on an elegant padded couch as if posing for the Titanic movie's drawing scene. Andy's face betrays the worry she feels about being followed.  
"Relax," Serena told she. "We have this floor for ourselves."

Jocelyne goes to a high class kitchen worthy of Masterchef, the room opening onto a large common room.  
"Catch!" She cries.

A can of beer imported from England hovers in the air straight into Emily's hands.  
"Not now, Jocelyne," she said. "I want to get to work."

_(Is she still serious?)_

Emily offers her beer to Roy who opens it by shrugging his shoulders.  
"I do not mind if I do it," he said.

Suddenly, Andy sees a huge vase on a shelf, she finds herself attracted by it.

 _(I recognize this work from somewhere ... aha!)_  
"The Museum of Ancient Art said it had been interrupted during transport," she said.  
"Of course," smiled Jocelyne. "Nobody likes to have a bruised ego."  
"It's hard to admit publicly that you've been stealing, even if it's the best," Roy said.

Andy looks around to see that the whole room is filled with beautiful treasure. Miranda notices that the young woman is impressed by their collection.  
"Trinkets," she said. "Remember, Andrea, that nothing is out of our reach."  
"Will we focus, please?" Ask Emily then.  
"Aye, aye, admiral," Nigel replies, joking and greeting the redhead with amusement.  
"We do not have a lot of time," Emily replies.  
"You course on this point, I am at your disposal," said the man.

Emily and Nigel give each other a kind of personalized handshake.  
"Listen well," said the redhead.

**The group gets closer to her and takes a seat around the living room...**

It is clear that they respect her and have an easy team relationship.  
"I've been to the knees trying to break their system," Emily said. "Looks like Interpol has finally found me a big opponent ... I can not get in."  
"You will get there," Miranda says.  
"You never let us down before," said Roy. "And I know you will not start now, Em."

Emily nods and Andy can see the weight of the trust of others rest on the shoulders of the redhead.  
"Once I erased all the data from the Elias-Clarke system in Interpol, we disappear," said Emily. "All I need is a pro."  
"I have some information about the beginner agents of Elias-Clarke," Jocelyne tells she.  
"Well," said the British.

Jocelyne takes out her mobile phone and shows the screen to Emily.  
"They really like going to this art gallery," she says. "The little builders are where we hit them."  
"Like a moth to a flame," Serena smiled. "I will provide a captivating distraction."

The Brazilian rejects her hair over her shoulder.  
"Then," Jocelyne says. "Their phone, password and contact are mine."  
"Until I can follow exactly what they have in their system, we are exposed," sigh Emily. "Let's go."

Emily's green eyes then settle on Andy, determine and intense.

 _(I wish she did not look at me like that, it gives me the impression that she knows my thoughts better than myself.)_  
"That's where you come in, Andy," said the British. "Can you take care of it?"  
"I'm ready for anything you throw me," replies the young woman.  
"Very well then."

Emily leans over as if she's going to tell Andy a secret.  
"We need you to make an art exhibition to install in this gallery," said the redhead.

 _(I died and I went to heaven, no?)_  
"I wanted to hire an artist who will not be wiser and make sure that Em presents herself as his collaborator," says Jocelyne.  
"Do I look like Sarah Michelle Gellar for you?" Replica Emily. "I am a hacker, not an actress."

Jocelyne looks at Andy with amusement.  
"I admit I would have paid to see that," she said. "But, you call the blows like that, Em, so let's do magic."

Emily never weakens in concentration, she fixes Andy again.  
"We can get everything you need for your work," she told her. "And we have in the underbelly people who can build what you want, they are fast and will be happy to take the information of Elias-Clarke in exchange for their service."

A wave of excitement overwhelms Andy.

 _(And fear, I do not want to let them down.)_  
"It's ... a dream come true," she says. "I have so many ideas!"  
"Me too," Serena said.  
"I see giant kites," continues Andy. "But they are tied to the ground by a string and in the sky people are flying! Tell me, Serena!"  
"I see a big bed and on it are sheets of Egyptian silk," replied the Brazilian woman. "And me, above them."

Serena leaves the room, not far behind her, Roy and Miranda head for their respective rooms. Nigel returns to the back of the couch, stopping as he passes Andy.  
"I always have my spray paints if you need them," he said.  
"Thank you," smiled Andy.

Nigel goes to his room, throwing his last thoughts at Emily over his shoulder.  
"I guess you have company tonight, Em," he sneers just before disappearing.

Emily looks at Andy with contemplation before sighing softly.  
"Come on," she said, just shaking her head and heading to her room, Andy followed her obediently.


	4. She recruited us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily's room, Andy looks at art with the redhead and then has an interesting chat with Serena

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not hesitate to comment

**Emily enters by the door of her room and signals to Andy to follow her inside the room...**

_(It's exactly as I imagined it.)_

Like its owner, the room has no history, relaxed and comfortable, with a large desk in the center. The desk looks mostly like a professional technical station, and the bed at the end of the bedroom looks particularly appealing topped with a soft pillow.  
"You seem to relieve a bit," says Emily her arms crossed.  
"Let's say that now I can hardly stand still," said Andy smiling. "I have so many ideas!"

Emily goes to her closet and takes off her luxury shoes.  
"So, is there anything specific that you want me to create for installation?" Ask Andy.  
"Later," blows the other woman.  
"What?"  
"Listen, I was in a helicopter then a plane to end up walking the rest of the day, I'm done for today," explains Emily.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, it's hard for me to calm down when there is so much to get me excited!"  
"Good god," said the redhead looking up at the sky. "Do you have other speed?"  
"You mean apart from full throttle? Let me think ... No!"

Emily seems discouraged by this response.  
"Okay, whatever, we don't have a spare room," she said. "But my sofa is more comfortable than most beds, don't hesitate to fall asleep there, I'm going to do my usual things, correct?"  
"Are you sure I am not a problem?" Andy asks uncertain.  
"Apart from your sickening endless enthusiasm? No, you're fine."

Andy laughs a bit at Emily's biting reply.  
"Okay," she said.

The redhead turns quickly and heads for her office. It's good, Andy already has good company ... her imagination. She takes out her cell phone and scrolls through the images that come to mind. One image invariably leads to another and soon it falls into a video rabbit hole. Andy puts on her headphones and lets herself get lost in this video world. She finally lands on an installation that captures exactly what she would like to do with hers.

_(This is it, that's it!)_

Andy glances at Emily to find her also lost in her job. But the brunette crunches of energy and before knowing it, she yell:  
"You must see that, Emily!"

Still on autopilot mode, Andy charges toward Emily's office, pushing her phone in front of the redhead's face. Emily's forehead wrinkles in confusion as she quietly turns to the other woman.  
"What?" She said exasperated.  
"It's incredible!" Andy answers.  
"You can see that I'm in the middle of something," the redhead raised an eyebrow.

Andy takes one of her earphones out of hee ear, sits down next to Emily and hands her over. The other woman hesitates, but after a moment, she must see the desperation in the eyes of brown deer, because she takes the earpiece, receiving a mega-watt smile from Andy. The two women watch the video carefully. Andy closes her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to experience only the sounds. Then she opens her eyes and lets herself feel the fullness of the work ... it's beautiful. That's all she hopes to convey with her art.

_(Will I ever be as good? Is it as incredible for Emily as it is for me?)_

Andy takes a look at Emily to see if the work has the same impact on the redhead as on herself. Her eyes scan the face of the British from bottom to top. Andy notices the fullness of the other woman's lips, how soft they look and the graceful curve of her nose. Upon reaching the sparkling emerald green eyes, Andy finds that Emily is not watching the video... she is watching the brunette. Andy quickly takes a double take, only to find Emily's gaze fixed on Andy's phone.

 _(Is my mind playing tricks on me?)_  
"What do you think about it?" Ask Andy.  
"That's fine," admits Emily. "But we need something bigger."

The brunette's cheeks are still warm. But Emily, she's cold like a cucumber, her green eyes staring at the phone from afar.  
"I can make it bigger," assures Andy.  
"I have to go back to my work."

Emily puts the earpiece in Andy's hands.  
"Oh, of course," is the brunette.

She begins to think that the romanticism of Paris is perhaps going to her head.

_(Yes, the Golden Runway is made of the coolest people I have ever met, but I can't get lost in a waking dream, they've given me a job.)_

Andy feels the need to move away from Emily for a moment, she gets up and heads for the bedroom door.  
"Do you want something from the kitchen?' She asks the redhead.

The other woman shakes her head negatively without removing her eyes from her computer screen.

**Andy returns to the large common space...**

Letting out a big sigh once she is there.  
"Are you all right, querida?"

The presence of Serena surprises the young woman a little.  
"Me? No, yeah, I mean ..." great, Andy answers nervously. "Everything is fine."

Serena smiles and gently taps the area next to her on the couch, motioning for Andy to settle in, which the brunette does temporarily.  
"Homesick?" Asked the Brazilian.  
"No way!" Exclaims Andy.  
"Well," sneers Serena. "You are certainly not lacking in enthusiasm."  
"I have more than enough in reserve."  
"All the same, it must be a crazy whirlwind for you, right now."  
"Oh no, this kind of thing happens to me all the time," answers Andy sarcastic but amused.

Serena stops flipping through the magazine in her hands to watch Andy.  
"You certainly take it in stride," she said.  
"Yeah," said Andy. "I admit that I panic a little inside."

The brunette hadn't realized before, but there is something warm and inviting about Serena.

_(I guess that's why she's so good at it.)_

Serena gets people to let their guard down and then gets what she wants from them.

_(But is all this an act?)_

It is hard to know which side is on a person who makes a living by manipulating others.

_(It's generous, isn't it really a glamorous thing? Benefit from the trust of others? Anyway, I don't want to be its next brand.)_

Andy had wanted a nice word or even a touch of approval from Emily. But she only had to meet the sarcasm and the distance, however it was real. The redhead does not pretend, there is no pretension with her.

_(What you see is what you get with Emily Charleton.)_

Faced with a choice, Andy prefers by far a real disdain to a false affection.  
"Don't let Em's intensity make you anxious," Serena told she.  
"It's not, she just takes her job very seriously, she is ..."  
"Her own mind?"  
"Yes!" Exclaims Andy. "It's exactly that."

Serena nods in agreement.  
"We just gave her her first chance to take the lead," she said. "She's not going to fail, it's not her style."  
"You confirm you all so well," sighs Andy a little envious.  
"Some more than others in fact."  
"What do you mean?"

Serena smiled softly at Andy's curiosity.  
"The Golden Runway has been a unit for a long time," she explains. "We grew up with each recruit, Emily is our most recent addition and above all the most unique."  
"How?"  
"Miranda is excessively perfectionist, she selected each of us by hand," except Emily.  
"Then how... ?"  
"When we say she's the best at what she does," said Serena. "We are not kidding, we know from experience, she hacked us."  
"What??" Andy wonders with her mouth wide open and her eyes wide.

Serena sneers a bit at Andy's reaction before continuing her explanation.  
"Oh yes, this woman showed us all our lives ready to be delivered to any hacker worthy of the name, Miranda to decide that we needed the best of them in our team, she needed Emily to join us ."  
"Well, it looks like she's the one recruiting you," smiles Andy.  
"Hmm, yes, Miranda calls it a mutually beneficial arrangement."

With that Serena gets up from the sofa, she hands Andy her magazine.  
"And now," she said. "I'll go take advantage of an advantageous arrangement including a hot bubble bath and a glass of ice wine."

**She leaves the room gracefully and Andy decides to return to Emily's room...**

_(Emily is the kind of woman who takes the world by storm, I mean, seriously, the courage it took to hack THE Golden Runway!)_

Andy was ready to give up on her dreams and return to Ohio simply because things didn't go according to her plans.

_(But not anymore! I'm going to show Emily that I am a force she can count on!)_


	5. Let's look together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily and Andy chat a little more, she talks about television and Emily decides to relax with the other woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this story Andy knows a second language besides English
> 
> I included my favorite original series, on the original I specify that I have nothing against reboot, on the contrary I encourage to watch the two versions
> 
> Do not hesitate to comment

**Emily is still at her desk typing on her keyboard at full speed...**

"Are you planning your next infiltration into a world class thief organization?" Andy said with a devious smile.

The redhead looks at her from her computer, puzzled.  
"A little bird told me how you made your way through the most elusive thief team that the man knows," explains the brunette.  
"Who did you talk to?" Breath Emily exasperated.  
"When your CV is as impressive as yours, it is hard to keep it secret."  
"It's not a big deal."

Emilie is modest, but Andy can say that the other woman is proud of her work.  
"Certo," replies Andy. "Everyone can do it."  
"You speak Italian?" Emily is surprised.  
"A little bit, I have a sister who spent a year in Italy, so when she came back home she really spoke it a lot, so I understand pretty well, but talking is another story, let's say that I could move around in Italian suburbs."

Emily gives a little sign of approval.

 _(Did her esteem for me just grow a little?)_  
"I exposed a weakness and I just used it to help the Golden Runway," said the redhead.  
"Fortunately for them, you wanted to be part of their group, otherwise, it could have ended badly for the team."

Emily looks away and seems to get lost in thought.  
"You give the impression that it's so easy," said Andy.

The redhead does not answer, she taps her fingers on the corner of her desk, a nervous energy suddenly takes possession of her eternally relaxed disposition.

_(Did I say something wrong?)_

Emily seems distracted now.  
"I better come back to it," she said. "Too much conversation tires me."

 _(Personally, I don't think there is too much conversation, but I better stick to its limits.)_  
"Okay," said Andy.

**Emily returns to look at her computer while the brunette leaves to sit on an oversized armchair...**

She flips through the magazine Serena left she, but he happens to be in French.

_(I would have liked to go to the next level in French lessons.)_

On each page, her eyelids get heavier and heavier. Andy's eyelids finally succumbed to the weight of the tired closing slowly. She squats in the chair to rest and fall asleep since the group got off the plane. The sound of the keyboard coming from Emily's area made she doze gently ...

**Andy's left eye opens...**

She looks for a moment like a one-eyed pirate in the foggy fog before Emily's frowning face becomes clear.  
"Get up," she said, rolling her eyes.  
"What?" Says Andy a little lost.  
"I said to get up, you're going to have a bad feeling tomorrow morning by falling asleep on the armchair, go to bed on the sofa."  
"I was not sleeping, I was just resting my eyes."  
"Sure," said Emily sarcastically.

Emily rolls her eyes, turns around and crosses her dark room, Andy gets up and follows her.  
"Okay, I admit, I was falling asleep," she sighs. "It was a powerful ass nap, but now I'm refreshed."  
"If you say so."  
"What are you doing at the moment?" Ask Andy.  
"I'm not tired yet," replies Emily.  
"That's good, me neither!"

Emily sends Andy another incredulous look.  
"So you're just in the dark?" Ask Andy.  
"I was going to watch a bit of my show," said Emily.  
"Oh, which one?"  
"You don't know her," replies the redhead.  
"Attempts me."  
"Listen, I have a different taste from most people our age."  
"You give the impression that you are watching obscure Russian soap operas or the like."  
"I am not influenced by the vagaries of popularity, I like what I like, no matter if it is not of my time and I stick to that."  
"So ... what do you like?"  
"I said, you haven't heard of it."  
"I'm starting to think you're ashamed," teases Andy. "Otherwise you would have told me already."  
"I'm not ashamed of this show, ever!"  
"So...?"

Emily sighs defeated.  
"Charmed," she sighs. "The original, not the reboot."  
"Classic!" Exclaims Andy delighted.  
"You like that too?" Ask Emily surprised looking at the other woman.  
"If I like the Halliwell sisters!?"  
"You really mean what you say? Do you like this series?"  
"I love how they did so much magic with the few special effects of the time," answers Andy. "I mean, Piper's time freeze is just great."  
"Yeah ... that's perfect," agrees Emily surprisingly.

Andy sighs dreamily.  
"The images, the despair and the story of certain characters like Cole, all the episodes evoke emotion," she says. "And it is the trademark of any good work of art, it makes you feel something."

Emily looks at her like she sees her for the first time.

_(You see? I'm not just a pretentious child recently out of art school, I have hidden faces, Miss Charleton!)_

Emily crosses her arms and stares at Andy.  
"I was going to watch a little bit of season three to relax," she said.

Andy looks at the redhead, her green eyes are softer than what she has seen before, almost ... welcoming.  
"You can join me, if you want," she offers Andy.

_(Did I hear right?)_

It had been like ripping out a tooth just to get Emily to talk to her a bit, and now the redhead is inviting Andy to hang out with she, unrelated to work. That's all Andy had wanted all day! An opportunity to show Emily that she is much more complicated than a country girl who tries to be interesting.

_(Don't blow this, this is the moment I've been waiting for!)_

Emily looks at Andy with a sparkle of what could be hope in her green eyes, waiting for the brunette's response.  
"So?" Makes her a little impatient. "It's probably a unique chance, you know?"  
"Really? If you're serious, of course, is that looks great!" Responds Andy resisting the urge to do a pirouette.

 _(I don't want to sound too excited, who am I kidding? I'm talking about me!)_  
"Don't let me twist your arm or anything," sigh Emily.

**She gives Andy a very slight smile, then motions for she to settle down on the bed...**

"I asked Nigel to install a hidden TV stand for me and I then remotely controlled it with the dashboard," said the redhead. "All I have to do is press this button ..."

Emily presses the button on a remote control that was for a moment rather next to the bed, and a medium-sized television slowly rises from the end of the bed.  
"Wow," blow Andy. "It is certainly practical."  
"I don't watch TV often, but when I do, it's usually before bed."

Emily then puts a few pillows on the head of her bed, handing two to Andy.  
"Do you want more?" She request.  
"No, thank you, that's perfect," answers Andy.  
"Comfort help to appreciate a good broadcast."

Andy can't help but watch as Emily takes off her jacket to reveal only a high quality sleeveless black top. Andy especially notices the curve of the redhead's bare waist, her skinny belly but very exposed to her gaze. Emily lies down, leaning against the pillows of her headboard, stretching her arms, then folding them behind her head. Andy stands awkwardly next to the bed.  
"I'm not going to bite you," said Emily.

**Andy climbs gently into the bed...**

Making sure there is enough space between her and Emily, so the redhead doesn't feel cluttered.

 _(Oh my god, I could live in this bed!)_  
"I would never have taken you for ... there must be a name for that," Emily breathes.  
"Uh, a name for what?"  
"You know there are potterheads and Trackers, but no name for Charmed fans, at least I think."  
"I never thought about it, you’re right, I guess we could be called Charmies or Charmhead."

Emily lets out a very small laugh, the very first that Andy gets from her.  
"Would you like to be called that way?" Ask Emily.  
"How?"  
"A Charmies?"  
"Oh, I don't know," admits Andy. "This kind of title is reserved for the most loyal and assiduous fans, I think I am more what we call occasional admirer."  
"So what are you an unconditional fan of?"

Andy gives Emily a peek.  
"I don't want to tell you."  
"Why not?" Emily is surprised.  
"You're only going to make fun of me," answers Andy. "I know it."  
"It looks like you're the one who's ashamed now."  
"Can you promise me not to laugh?"

Emily uses her hand to make a cross on her chest, her finger slides in the valley of her breasts.  
"Cross on my heart," said the serious redhead.

It must be admitted that under her sharp words and her generally cold behavior, Andy discovers that a tenderness is reserved by Emily for those which she judges worthy of confidence.  
"Very good," Andy blows. "What I really like is ..."


	6. In Paris you must eat a croissant 🥐

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy and Emily continue their discussion then leave the hotel a bit in the Parisian streets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you like in this chapter and what you don't like

Andy stares at Emily, hoping she will keep her promise not to laugh.  
"... romance and comedy, if you can put the two together, it's even better."  
"The severe thing," sniffs Emily. "This does not surprise me."  
"I'm a sucker for a love story, I guess what really excites me is falling in love, whether with a work of art or a person, it's the link I'm looking for above all."  
"I can dig this."  
"Really?" Is surprised Andy.

Emily shrugs.  
"It's obviously not for me," she said. "But I can see how someone like you would want to be a part of it."  
"Someone like me?" Andy questions uncertain.  
"You know, bubbly and optimistic."  
"Bubbly? Do I look like a puppy to you?"

Emily sighs at that.  
"Passionate," she says. "That's all I want to say, Andy, the things you like turn you on, nothing wrong with that, I respect."

Andy feels her cheeks warm.  
"Thank you," she said shyly.  
"I prefer science fiction and horror."  
"Even if it's about feeling, some people just feel scared."  
"I'm not afraid easily," laughs Emily.  
"I would not imagine," said the other woman, nodding.

Andy and Emily's eyes meet and they both let him linger. Andy keeps her eye on that of the redhead as long as it allows. Finally, Emily watches TV and lifts the remote control.  
"Let's find one to look at," she said.

Emily clicks on the episodes, scrolling through dozens.  
"Is each episode already done?" Ask Andy.  
"Rather," answers the redhead.  
"You really are a Charmies."  
"I can have any episode of whatever you want to watch."  
"It looks like you are the right woman for many things."

Emily presses the play button and Andy senses the warmth of the redhead's arm against hers, side by side. She doesn't move and neither does Andy. The two women silently sink into a Charmed trance.

**The next morning...**

Emily's bed is empty when she wakes up.

**Andy goes to the common room ...**

She finds the redhead on the tufted sofa that slams her laptop. The result has not lost its magnificence. It's as impressive as the first time Andy looked at it. Maybe more, without the adrenaline and excitement of yesterday's events.  
"And here is the sleeping beauty," laughs Emily.  
"I uh ... I swear I usually don't sleep so late," said the embarrassed brunette.  
"Trying to follow the rhythm of a night owl like me, it catches you, doesn't it?"  
"I guess so, where is everyone?"  
"Outside handling business."

Andy spots a basket full of crumbs on the coffee table.  
"Is that what I think it is?" Does request.  
"Do you think it is something other than an empty basket?" Replies Emily.  
"Um yes! The old house of delicious Parisian pastries."  
"Nothing escapes you."  
"It's impossible that I spend my first morning in Paris without a croissant."

Andy takes out her phone.  
"What do you think you're doing?" Emily asks she.  
"Solve my problem, it's exactly half a kilometer from here, I get my sweet pastry."  
"While triangulating our exact location," scowls the clearly dissatisfied redhead. "Why don't you just call Interpol and invite them over for tea?"  
"Oh ... uh, I didn't think about that."

_(Heck, now Emily probably thinks I'm just a silly girl who doesn't know what I'm doing, but to be honest ... I don't know what I'm doing, this secret thief lifestyle and stealth will take some getting used to, I'm feeling a little stupid now.)_

Emily's eyes pierce Andy.

 _(I wish my feelings weren't written on my face.)_  
"I know a place," said the redhead.  
"You do?"  
"Come, follow me."

**A little later in the streets of Paris ...**

"It's the best choice I have ever made in my life," exclaims Andy, crunching in the croissant, the butter and the tenderness of fresh pastry.

 _(I know with absolute certainty that this day could not be better.)_  
"So now you can die like a happy woman," laughs Emily.  
"This is only the beginning," replies Andy.  
"After the chocolate croissants, what could you possibly do next?"  
"I don't know ... the world is mine now!"  
"Okay, slow down," said the redhead. "You don't want to hurt yourself."

Suddenly, Andy notices a haven of peace in the middle of the city, across the street where she and Emily are walking.  
"Let's eat while we walk in this park," suggests Andy.

Emily looks at her hesitantly.  
"Good, but only because it's on the way back to the hotel," she breathes.  
"We can walk quickly if it makes you feel better."

Emily smiled softly at she.  
"Tell me more about the art installation that I have to create," said Andy.  
"The most important thing is that it is functional," says the other woman. "It must have a scale, because what I'm working on extracting data from their remote phones is considerable, it has to hide it."

Andy nods in understanding.  
"I can do that," she said confident.  
"It must also be really beautiful, the extraction process will take me a while, I need each visitor to be close to your work for two to three minutes, they cannot just miss it must hold their attention."  
"Of course, not just something good but something that really captures its audience."  
"As long as they stay in place," adds Emily. "It can be whatever you want."  
"What do you think of a room with mirrors?" Ask Andy. "Human beings have been attracted to their own reflection since the dawn of man."

Emily shrugs.  
"Everything that works," she says.  
"No, I'm serious," said Andy. "I want to hear your ideas."  
"That's why you're here," reminds her of the redhead.  
"Come on," sighs Andy.

Emily thought for a moment.  
"You know, Miranda didn't choose you," she said.  
"What?" Is surprised Andy.  
"I did it."

Andy can't stop her mouth from getting upset.  
"Because I thought your work was good," adds Emily. "Really good, you are talented."

_(Please don't let me blush now.)_

**The sound of Andy's phone interrupts the two women...**

She pulls it to see that the screen flashes and scrolls by itself.  
"Wow, ok, that's kind of super weird, what's going on?" She said, frowning in misunderstanding.

Suddenly, Emily takes the phone from Andy's hands and looks at the screen and lets out an audible breath. Andy can't say if the other woman's expression is shock or admiration.  
"It's not weird, Andy ... it's hacked, someone else controls your phone ..."


	7. The Whitehat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily discovers Andy's phone is hacked and a hacker black market

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brontolone means grumpy in Italian
> 
> Do not hesitate to comment

Emily's fingers move furiously on Andy's phone screen, but in vain.

 _(I wish I could do something.)_  
"How did you get internet access?" Ask Emily to Andy.  
"I don't know," replies the young woman. "The first link I got."  
"Great," sigh the hacker. "You might as well have opened the door and invited them in."  
"But it's..."  
"No matter now," cut Emily. "We have to get rid of it."  
"My phone?!" Exclaims Andy horrified at the idea. "I need ...!"

Andy can only watch her phone crash on  
the ground, Emily's Gucci high heel foot falling on it with strength and speed, to the great horror of the youngest.  
"Hey!" Exclaims Andy indignant.

Emily quickly scans and scraps the now-destroyed phone a. She spots a nearby scooter that has a shoulder bag. The redhead peeks around, then drops the phone part into the bag.  
"Let's go," she said to Andy.  
"I can't believe you did this!" replied the young woman.  
"A carrier pigeon is more efficient than that, I try to prevent us all from being put in prison."  
"Because of my phone?" Said Andy skeptical.  
"Because of your carelessness on the antique rotary phone ... yes!"

_(Just as we were going somewhere, I made a mistake that could blow everything up.)_

Andy looks down on her feet hoping that  
the answer to this epic is hidden some  
share in her sneakers. Emily glances at Andy then sighs.  
"Listen," she said. "I did you a favor, now you can get what kids call smart phones."  
"It's not funny," replies Andy. "I am totally  
in the dark here, I want to know what's going on."

 _(And above all, let her tell me that I didn't ruin everything.)_  
"Interpol, in particular the Elias-Clarke division, finally has a whitehat that is worth its salt," explains Emily. "If they get into your phone, they'll know what we have and they'll come get us."  
"A whitehat?" Andy questions.  
"Think of them as the police of the world of hackers, they try to keep us or in my case, track me."  
"So, you hack them and they hack you in return?"

 _(And I can't choose an internet connection.)_  
"Something like that," replies Emily. "The fact that they have taken your phone means they are watching us... and that you should have a password other than one, two, three, four and five."

 _(Are we watching or just me?)_  
"What shall we do now?" Ask Andy.  
"They wanted us to know," replies Emily. "It was cheeky, it's not their style, they raise the heat."

Emily takes out her cell phone and starts sending a message.  
"So my phone is a billion pieces, but are you texting? Really?" Said Andy still bitter about the destruction of her phone.  
"I contact the whitehat," replies Emily. "There are rules of engagement, it's between us."  
"Wait, are you talking to them?"

 _(Just when I think I understand, it becomes more confused.)_  
"Few people in the world have the skills we have," answers Emily. "There is a mystifying appreciation between us, like Al Capone and Elliot Ness."  
"Who?" Asks Andy lost.  
"The fact is that you are out of bounds," growls the redhead.

Emily's phone rings with a new notification, she reads in silence.  
"Well?" Andy asks.

Emily's face creases in dismay, it's a face that Andy rarely sees of the other woman,  
because as soon as problems arise, she is too busy solving them to seem worried.

_(But not this time, maybe I should be the one who worries. )_

Andy slides Emily's phone with her hands in one glance, staring at the screen.  
"If she is with the Golden Runway, she is not innocent, she will fall with the rest of you," she reads aloud, clicking on the link under the message. "Oh my god!"

Andy's own face looks at her, she freezes and Emily recovers her phone, throwing a  
glance at the screen, the redhead's face passes quickly from worry to determination.  
"It's just to scare you," she said.  
"It works!" Replies Andy.  
"Do not panic."  
"It's easy to say for you, it's MY face plastered on all the newspapers because I AM wanted by the police!"  
"Look at me," said Emily. "We will arrange that you have to trust me, can you do that?"

Andy takes a breath, trying to calm down.  
"I can try," she said.  
"It's not sufficient," said Emily. "You do it or don't do it."

Andy lets that resonate for a moment in her mind.  
"I trust you," she said.  
"Well, we have to get out of here," Emily says. "Now!"

Emily begins to hit the screen of her phone and Andy watches the surveillance cameras rotate on their mount away from them.  
"Go ahead," say Emily.

**Emily then takes off like a shot, running at** **full speed despite her high heels...**

Andy followed her behind, the redhead synchronizing each video surveillance screen with their passage, then she makes a sharp turn to the right.

 _(She's faster than she looks.)_  
"Waits!" Exclaims Andy, breathless.

Emily doesn't stop. She is just looking over her shoulder.  
"I told you, come on!" She replies to Andy.

Andy pushes her legs harder and faster while catching up with Emily in time to make a sharp left turn into a narrow lane. Suddenly, Emily stops and Andy almost sinks into the other woman's back. They are both the only people in sight.   
"Here," said Emily.

**Emile slips behind an old rusty metal door...**

_(Nothing is right here.)_

Andy follows the other woman. It is night and a smell humid permeates the air.  
"Where are we?" She asks, whispering softly, not knowing if they are alone or not.  
"We are going down to the belly," replies Emily.

Andy takes a deep breath, trying to catch her breath.  
"It stinks," she said.  
"You can try your luck there, if you want," replies Emily.

Andy shakes her head and tries to distinguish their environment while her eyes chocolate struggle to adapt to the dark. 

**Emily and she arrive at a dilapidated metro station...**

A group of supplier occupies the length of the platform.  
"We're safe here," said Emily.  
"What is this place?" Ask Andy.  
"A refuge outside the network, a black market, a home for those who reject the hypocrisy of society, our saving grace depends on who you ask for."  
"What are we doing here?"  
"They have things," replies Emily. "We need things."

Andy tries to soak up all the information which reaches she quickly.

 _(It's a lot to take.)_  
"Let's go," said Emily.  
"Wait a minute," said Andy. "Who is this person? This Whitehat?"  
"I do not know."  
"What do you mean, don't you know? You them just talking, my phone is in pieces because you said they were the best."

Emily sighs looking exasperated.  
"Of one, I'll get you a new phone," she says. "And two, I never said they were best I said they were very good I'm here better obviously."  
"Good to find me after only one day in Paris," said Andy.  
"You are right, their skills are real, if they did not want to track us down, we could rule the world together."  
"Well, damn it, maybe you should just go out for a coffee date, since you admire their work so much, after all, they are just trying to ruin my life!"  
"Whoa, okay calm down," said Emily.  
"I'm calm!" Replies Andy. "I am the one  
calm as I hide in a sewer!"  
"I have something that can help."  
"I hope so."

Emily turns her eyes to Andy's attitude.  
"Do you want to hear or not?" Does request.  
"Sorry," Andy apologizes.

Emily looks at Andy from the side.  
"The last two days are new to me," explains Andy.  
"I know."  
"I don't want to be so ... brontolone."  
"I'm going to assume that it means clever," smiles Emily.

Andy gives Emily an exasperated look, the corners of the redhead's mouth straighten despite her best attempt to prevent it.  
"Tell me," encourages Andy. "What is this thing you have?"  
"Well..."


	8. Black market adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily and Andy go shopping on the black market and start chatting as they learn more about each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment without hesitation

Emily looks at Andy explaining to her what she has found.  
"I cracked part of their system, I'm in  
tracking an IP address that whitehat is using, it gave me a window into some of their activities, but not all."  
"So we don't walk blindly," said Andy.  
"Not fully and after the installation phrase, we will have all the information we need."  
"Okay," agrees Andy.

Emily looks at Andy thinking.  
"What do you say we are shopping?"  
"Here?" questions Andy surprised.  
"Someone is on the market for a telephone recorder and there is no better place to get it than this beautiful establishment."  
"Are you sure we are welcome here?"  
"We're fine, you want to look around, see if something hits you, I can arrange to get it, what do you say?"

 _(I want to prove to she that I am strong enough to handle everything that this job entails.)_  
"You wanted to explore Paris, right? It's not worth more than that," said Emily.  
"Okay, let's do it!" Replies Andy.  
"Right on!"

**As Andy and Emily turn to a row of stands...**

A man with a large iguana perched on his shoulder approaches the brunette.  
"Modssss body," the man says his tongue sliding between his lips, revealing a slit similar to a snake in the middle.

Emily raises her hand.  
"We are good!" She says.

**Man walks away as Andy and Emily continue shopping...**

"What are they selling here?" Ask Andy.  
"If you can't find it elsewhere, it's probably  
here," replies Emily.

 _(I'm starting to think I don't want to know.)_  
"What did you get?" Ask Andy.  
"I've only been a handful of times here," sigh Emily. "Miranda has a few connections here that help with Intel or supplies for jobs."

Andy spots a baby panda in a cage. There is sadness in the animal's eyes.

 _(Poor thing ....)_  
"Do you see that?" She said to Emily.  
"I try to keep my head down and get what I  
came to look," said the redhead.  
"It's both incredible and scary."  
"It takes a while to get used to it, I'm not  
not quite sure i'm still there trying to stay focused on the task at hand."  
"So it's not just me," breathes Andy relieved.  
"The only place where I feel at home is behind my computer screen."

A small group of men in full black clothes with spiky hair and chains hanging from their clothes march towards the center of the market. Behind them, a gathering of brilliantly colored peacocks follows them.

**Emily puts her hand on Andy's lower back and away from the path of men...**

Her body presses against that of the brunette as they enter a more crowded market area.  
"There is a kind of strange freedom in it, nobody here judges you," mentions Andy.  
"It's the intersection of hidden parts of the world," said Emily, her face lighting up as she headed for a stand stacked with vinyl records. "Now it's my speed!"

_(There must be thousands of records here, it's nice to see Emily Smile again.)_

Emily has one in her hands and admires it.  
"Do you know how rare it is?" She asks  
Andy.

Andy looks at the vinyl cover, a man with  
brown skin and lips glued to a saxophone  
viola is on it.  
"One of the first known recordings is a legend in the jazz world," explains Emily.  
"I didn't take you for a Jazz lover," admits Andy surprised.  
"Most people don't."  
"I listened to it a bit, but I never really got into it."  
"My grandparents turned me on, it's an acquired taste," says Emily.  
"Most things are, I suppose," nodded the other woman.  
"What are your tastes, Andy?"  
"I listen to a little of everything, I grew up with all types of music in my house, but nothing beats a good ballad for me."  
"Why am I not surprised?" Said Emily, rolling her eyes.  
"Because you know how to recognize a hopeless romantic when you see one?"  
"I will have to play Jazz for you from time to time, it's music made for lovers."

Emily's hand was then on Andy's as they approached the same disc. The redhead leaves it for a second before removing it.  
"Sorry," she said.  
"The great minds meet," answers Andy.

Andy lets her chocolate eyes linger on Emily, she ends up looking elsewhere in  
noticing something.  
"I see phones over there," she said.  
"Oh great," Andy smiles.

_(For a second, I got lost in her beautiful emerald eyes and I forgot what we came for.)_

**Walking towards the phones...**

Andy sees a cabin filled with tarantula. Spiders are not really not her strong. Emily puts her hand on the youngest's shoulder.  
"Let's get you a phone and get out of here," she said.

Andy nods relieved at Emily's words.  
"Make your choice," said the redhead.

Andy looks at a sea of telephones which are almost all alike.  
"It doesn't matter," she said.

Emily catches the closest.  
"How?" She asks the seller.

The man behind the stand raises two fingers and Emily passes him money. She puts the phone in Andy's hand.

_(My first trip to the black market did not disappointed, this phone however ...)_

Emily notes Andy's lack of enthusiasm.

 _(At least I'm not in secret anymore.)_  
"There's an exit right over here," says Emily.

**Emily and Andy walk away from the big seller and find themselves alone in a dark tunnel...**

"Hey, Em," said Andy.  
"Yes?"  
"Thank you."  
"I understood you," replies Emily.


	9. You must disappear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after their black market tour, Emily gives Andy a gift and then tells the young woman that she must... delete her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, your comments are welcome

**The next day...**

Andy goes for a walk to try to clear her head after an afternoon of unsuccessful brainstorming.

_(This last idea is the best I've had so far, but I don't think it's the right one, it's part of every artistic process, right? I feel like a failure_ _.)_

**Approaching the entrance of the hotel...**

Andy sees Emily walking more spring than usual.  
"I thought I would find you here," said the redhead.  
"Oh, yes, I just went out to try to revive my creativity, you know," explains Andy.  
"No worries, how is it going?"  
"I'm not about to cut my ear or anything, but not great."  
"If you decide to do it, can you do it here, and not in my room? Blood never comes out of a carpet."  
"I would think it would be perfect, a slasher art film," smiles Andy amused.  
"Too messy," replies Emily.  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."  
"Each plan begins by eliminating the holes, it will come to you in due time."

Andy sighs heavily at this.  
"I have something for you," said Emily.  
"You do?" The brunette is surprised.

Emily reaches into her pocket and takes something out vividly colored. Andy marvels at the burner phone they bought on the black market. It is now covered with brightly colored spots.  
"He is superb!" Exclaims Andy delighted. "I love this!"  
"I knew you weren't very excited about it, I thought it might cheer up," said Emily.  
"Now it's a work of art."  
"I asked Nigel to animate it to be more worthy of its owner."

 _(I can't believe she did something so attentive to me. )_  
"It's ... I'm touched," said Andy sincerely.  
"It's nothing at all, you need a phone," said Emily.  
"It's a lot for me and I do it."  
"I didn't really want to destroy the other but ... it was necessary."  
"Better prevention than cure, I like this method to a better one anyway."  
"Well," agrees Emily.

Andy runs her hands over the colors, admiring the details. Without thinking, she advances and passes her arms around Emily.

_(It's a bit like hugging a statue.)_

Emily is stiff as a board, her arms are  
locked at her side.  
"Uh ... can you ..." try Emily uncomfortable.  
"Sorry, sorry, it was an impulse, I should have ..." Andy stutters as he steps back.  
"It's good."  
"No, it's your personal space, and I totally invaded it."  
"I can dig it out, I know some people show their gratitude through physicality, I don't do it all simply," says Emily.  
"Well, of course, it won't happen again," nods Andy.  
"Do not worry about that."

 _(How to blow this magic moment Andy, yet she took the trouble to make this phone something special that I would cherish she may not want to admit, but we connect.)_  
"It means the world to me, I'm going to have to find a way to thank you," smiles Andy.  
"No thanks, consider quits for the other  
phone destroyed," says Emily.

 _(It's so Emily Charleton to pretend it doesn't matter, I can make statements_ _like that about her, because we're on our way to true friendship.)_  
"So we are fine?" Ask Emily.  
"We are better than good, we are great," says Andy.

Andy recognizes the face that covers Emily.

 _(That kind of 'Pipe down, silly look.)_  
"Actually, there was another thing, Andy," said Emily seriously.

 _(Do I want to have a beer later? Just a_ _couple of women of the world, taking to Paris for sure, good friend.)_  
"Oh, what is that?" Ask Andy.

 _(She probably wants my precious advice on the plan or to talk about our next outing in town.)_  
"Let's go back to my room first," said Emily.

**Andy and Emily go inside and the redhead**   
**settles down at her desk...**

"I will need some small things from you," she said to Andy  
"Name it," smiles the young woman.  
"A chain is as strong as its strongest link  
weak, for now, it's you, you compromise the security of the whole group."

Emilie glances piercingly at Andy who could melt the ice.

 _(Does she want me to go? I'm so close to my breakthrough, I can feel it, but I prefer to leave than risk everything they've built.)_  
"So I have to make you completely disappear," explains Emily.

Andy looks at Emily, she looks for a connection in her emerald green eyes, only to find no familiarity there.

_(She wouldn't like ...)_

But then it comes to Andy's mind.

_(I don't know what she's willing to do to_ _protect the Golden Runway ...)_

Andy looks at Emily intensely still unsure of what the redhead means.

 _(And how long will she go for her first is_ _in charge of a heist.)_  
"I have to make you completely disappear,"  
repeats Emily.

Neither Emily nor Andy breaks eye contact.  
"Give me the passwords for each of your  
accounts," adds the redhead.  
"Why?" Is surprised Andy.  
"I will delete them and you at the same time."  
"Me? What do you mean by ... delete me?"  
"The only way the Golden Runway works  
is anonymity," says Emily.  
"What about my social media, my cards  
credit, my ... life?" Whispers the brunette.  
"Cleared."  
"How will I live?"  
"We are indeed ghosts we don't can't live with us."

The weight of Andy's choice to connect with a group of outlaw thieves strikes her as a ton of bricks.

 _(I don't know if I want to be a ghost, I_ _was just getting used to feeling really alive.)_  
"Is this the only way?" Ask Andy.  
"It's for your own protection, and ours," said Emily.

**Andy sits next to Emily...**

_(Erased gives the impression that my life is going wrong direction.)_  
"A large part of my art consisted in making a mark for me," sighs Andy. "Leaving beauty in a world that desperately needs it, It's hard to get rid of myself, when what I want most is to be seen."  
"It's what an existential crisis looks like, isn't it not?" Ask Emily.

Andy shrugs, knowing that Emily isn't not understand her dilemma.

 _(Her whole life is to manipulate the internet, I am lost.)_  
"You will always make art, only do not publish it on your barely functional Instagram account," says Emily.

Andy's body language translates her immense sense of doubt. Emily looks at her significantly.  
"It's not too late, tell me now if you want to turn around."

_(Turn around? Is it even an option?)_


	10. New identity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily create Andy's new identity before bringing the young woman to meet one of her friends in a club

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new character appears in this chapter
> 
> Your comments are always appreciated

Andy stares at Emily with determination  
the redhead's offer to turn around.  
"All that is there is the same uncertainty without any excitement ... I will go to the end of that," said Andy seriously. "What do you need me to do?"

When the last word leaves her mouth, Andy feels even more determined and Emily nods.

_(Is that approval? She thought I would deflate, right?)_

Emily points to a piece of paper, gives Andy a pen, and the brunette begins to write. Andy hands the paper over, stopping  
momentarily while Emily is taking it.  
"Really? It's a joke, right?" Emily asks an eyebrow raised in disbelief.  
"You said to write down my password for everything," answers Andy, her blushing cheeks.  
"Passwords ... in the plural Andrea, common sense, I cannot not believe that you use the same password for EVERYTHING."  
"Uh ... is that bad?"  
"I should have made an intervention earlier," replies Emily, grumbling. "Goodbye, Sachs, new version to come, one that doesn't need to be followed."

Emily examines Andy's accounts and dives into her computer. The brunette watches as the hacker clicks and slides Andy's life away.  
"Actually, you're easier than I thought," said Emily.  
"I am?" Is surprised Andy.  
"A piece of cake, once I erased your twelfth semi-complete dating profile it should do it."  
"I always want to go back and finish these things, but ... I'm busy!"  
"Are you sure you want me to delete this? It could be in your inbox right now?" Said Emily.  
"I'm sure," answers Andy.  
"Oh but, Sachs, how can your potential lovers continue after investing in poetic messages such as ... 'Hey beautiful, send me a sexy picture!' without answer? Don't leave them lying around, your soul mate is waiting."  
"Yeah, well ... now you see why the profiles are half complete," sigh Andy shrugging.

Emily's fingers frantically roam a few more clicks. Then her index finger touches a final touch in a dramatic fashion.  
"Completed," she said proudly.  
"Already?" Andy is surprised.  
"Now we come to the right things."  
"I don't know if I call losing my identity a good thing."  
"Wait, who do you want to be?" Asks Emily.  
"What are my options?" Wanna know Andy.  
"All that you want."  
"I have never invented an identity before it is a little intimidating."

Emily nods understandingly before giving Andy some advice.  
"We must sell the art exhibition and your installation so you must be at least an impressive artist."  
"Okay, I graduated from the school of fine arts in internationally renowned," smiles Andy. "Although I don't really need to go there, I had my first exposure when I was twelve and was considered a childish genius in the art world."  
"Not to mention your website, it's not bad."

Emily directs Andy to her screen so that the young woman can watch.  
"It's incredible! Maybe when it’s all over,  
you can help me with a real one," exclaims Andy.  
"First, we finish the other you," Emily replies.  
"Okay."

Andy can't help but smile to Emily.

 _(I like the new me.)_  
"You were right, it's fun," said Andy.  
"I know," agrees Emily.

**A bit later...**

Emily berates Andy for the fifth time since they left the hotel two hours after finishing the young woman's new identity.  
"Stop pulling on your outfit!"  
  
Andy gives one last shot hard on her shirt.

 _(I'm going to have to settle for more cleavage and less belly.)_  
"It's a little tight," Andy tells Emily.  
"You look good, believe me," sighs the redhead. "These clothes are the perfect crossroads between style and sex appeal, that's why I bought them."

_(Yes, but by your size! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the loan, it will just take me time to get used to it.)_

**Andy watches over the dancing overflowing club that Emily brought she to...**

The space is intimate and dimly lit. With the exception of a few multicolored strobes covering the crowd. On the other side of the room, a tall African woman American with short curly dark brown hair and almost black brown eyes sees Emily and Andy, and she begins to approach the two women.

 _(She must be a friend of Emily's.)_  
"Hi, Lily, this is Andy," said Emily, doing the  
presentations.  
"Hi," smiles Andy.  
"Hey! I am glad that you have succeeded, you are superb!" Said Lily to Andy.

Lily throws her arms around Andy in a quick hug.  
"Come on, you can settle here," she said.

**Andy and Emily follow Lily to her DJ stand on the stage in front of the crowd...**

The redhead unloads her backpack.  
"This is so cool!" Exclaims Andy delighted.  
"I know, I love it, I'm so glad you come, this crowd wants to dance," agrees Lily. "You are going to have a good time!"

Andy smiles at Lily, the other woman's energy is warm and contagious.  
"What magic did you work to get Em out of her job? I've been asking her to come here for months," Lily questions Andy with a raised eyebrow.  
"It's work that I am currently doing and you know it," replies Emily.  
"Speaking of work ..." said the DJ.

Lily kisses Andy on each cheek and goes to her laptop to start looking through her setlist.  
"I like it!" Said Andy to Emily, referring to Lily.

Emily nods as she removes the items  
necessary to configure the device.  
"So what now?" Asks Andy.

Emily places a very long rectangular black box on the table.  
"Each time someone takes a picture of Lily's face, the scan is activated," explains Emily. "That will raise any information, including encrypted, from cell phones in the room."  
"All?" Is surprised Andy.  
"It's the idea, we will see if we encounter problems during this test."  
"But ... they just came to have a good time, and now they get hacked? Like uh ... all of their personal information?" Said Andy uncomfortable.  
"If it works how it is designed, yes."  
"Uh... I feel a little guilty, they did nothing."

Emily sighs and rolls her eyes in exasperation.  
"Then they should better protect their data properly," she replies, before glancing at Andy who bites her uncertain lower lip. "Also, we have no use for a set of passwords young adults in a club, it is only for the test."  
"So none of this will actually be used?" Said Andy relieved.  
"Good God! What are you, the patron saint of reckless surfers?!"

A beat falls and the crowd resumes its intensity. Andy takes a look at Lily who is in full fashion DJ, calculating and planning how to get your audience moving.

_(Even Emily can't help it.)_

Emily's head begins to move.  
"Lily is really good," says Andy.  
"I know, approve of the redhead."

Andy watches the music start to infect  
Emily. The hacker begins to swing.  
"Are we just waiting?" Ask Andy.  
"My technology does all the work," said Emily. "Dance with Me?"  
"Me?" Astonishes the brunette.  
"Yes you."

 _(Is this really happening? The last time that_ _I touched Emily, she sagged, and now_ _she asks me to dance!)_  
"Unless you can't," laughs Emily.  
"You're kidding me! I am a dancing machine!" Replica Andy.  
"Let's see what you got, Sachs."


	11. Dance with Emily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily takes Andy to the club dance floor and chats with her before the young woman goes to the bathroom and meets a mysterious stranger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ❤️ indicates the beginning of a romantic moment between Emily and Andy 🖤 the end of this moment
> 
> Slight romance moment at the beginning of this chapter and a new character appears

After Emily's offer to go dance with her, Andy bites her lower lip, slightly hesitant.  
"Now?" She asks the redhead.  
"No, I was thinking about next year if you are free one day," Emily replies full of sarcasm.  
"I thought you were working tonight?"  
"I'm working."

**Emily presses a button on her data extractor and steps down from the stage...**

It enters the sea of bodies that move to the beat of the music. Andy follows her.But she loses Emily in the thrilling crowd.

"Em?" She said looking for the redhead.

_(There is only one way to reach her ... dance.)_

Andy's body begins to rock. Soon the dancers part, revealing Emily already deeply rooted in her own groove. The redhead bites her lower lip, her eyes closed, weaving her hips in the air.

_(I thought someone as rigid as she could not let go, I was wrong ... very wrong.)_

Suddenly Emily's emerald eyes open and close pose on Andy. 

**The redhead smiles as the other woman walks over to her...**

"I thought I lost you," says Andy.  
"Well, now you found me," said Emily.  
"You didn't tell me you were such a good dancers!"  
"As if there was the slightest doubt? My skills on the dance floor are known from afar."  
"You said you weren't much for nightlife," reminds Andy.  
"I'm not," agrees Emily.  
"Where did you learn to move like that?"  
"A gift with which I was born."

_(I wish I could be as sure of myself as she is_ _, it's magnetic.)_

❤️  
Emily's feet slide gently, as she lands behind Andy her hands on the brunette's hips. Emily leans over Andy's shoulder and whispers:  
"In addition, you have not seen half of what I can do."

The hair on Andy's neck lifts as the warmth of Emily's cheek caresses the skin. Andy can feel a redness spread on her face.

 _(Say something, Sachs!)_  
"Idem, come and dance salsa with me for a while," replies Andy.  
"It's not my scene, but I like to watch," said Emily.

Andy turns to present her own movements. Emily studies it intensely. The two women dance immersed in each other's gaze and find themselves in synchronization. They thus move until the part moves away and there remains only the twist of their bodies against each other.

 _(We are the only two people right now.)_  
🖤

Emily and Andy never come back to the reality of the runway dance only when the rhythm changes under Lily's skillful fingers.  
"Thirst?" Emily asks as she walks away from Andy.  
"Yeah," Andy agrees her voice a little hoarse.

**Emily drives Andy to the bar...**

The two women stay sit for a moment sipping water.  
"You're full of surprises," smiles Andy.  
"Am I?" Emily asks, raising an eyebrow.  
"I didn't know that you were so light on your feet."  
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me."  
"Like what?" Ask Andy full of curiosity.  
"I could tell you, but then I should kill you," Emily replies.

 _(Is it worth it?)_  
"Not me, I'm an open book, your classic that shares too much," smiles Andy.  
"You're not saying," laughs Emily, rolling her eyes.

 _(Say more unflattering things about yourself, Andy.)_  
"You were not the only one to be surprised," admits Emily.  
"Oh?" Says Andy.  
"I only took you two steps at best."  
"I live on the dance floor!"

Emily gives Andy a sly smile.

 _(This is all I wanted and I didn't think I could have had that night.)_  
"What do we do then? Tired already?" Ask Emily.  
"Never! I could do this all night!" Replica  
Andy.

**Emily is on her feet again, returning to the sea** **of bodies...**

She looks at Andy and beckons she head. The brunette follows, ready to feel the pressure of the bodies bring her closer to that of Emily. Andy catches the redhead.  
"It's the most fun I've had in a long time," Andy smiled sincerely.  
"Stay with me, you haven't seen anything yet," breaths Emily.  
"I'm not going anywhere."

Emily and Andy blend into the crowd.

_(Paris, you never fail me, the night has only just begun.)_

For the first time since she started dancing, Emily seems slightly out of breath. Andy was beginning to wonder if the redhead was inexhaustible.  
"It's time for Frankestein to check her creation," said Emily.  
"I thought you forgot," said Andy.  
"Please," laughs at the hacker.  
"Do you think it worked?"  
"Only one way to find out."

_(Perfect time for a break in the bathroom.)_

Andy turns to Emily a little.  
"Do you know where the ladies' bathroom is?" She asks.

Emily points across the club a line that winds in a corner.  
"Take your time, it could be a minute, from what I see you will have no choice," she said to Andy.

**Andy finds her way to the toilet, she settles in the back of the line...**

_(Why is it that no matter where you go in the world there is always a line for the women's bathroom?)_

As soon as Andy gets in the line, more than women line up behind her.  
"Is it the line for the toilets?" Ask one of them.  
"I'm afraid," Andy answers.  
"Is not always the case?"

Andy nods in agreement and notices that the woman almost seems irrelevant. Not just because of her bi-colored hair. but she could easily attend a high level business meeting instead of this club with the outfit she is wearing.

_(Paris is truly spectacular!)_

The wait drags on, some women chatting to pass the time.

 _(It would be a good time to check my mail_  
 _electronic if I had a smartphone, not that one of my accounts still exists.)_  
"Do you come here often?" Ask the Cruella Devil-haired woman.  
"No, it's my first time," answers Andy.  
"Where are your friends?"  
"Oh ..."

Just then, the bathroom door opens and it's Andy's turn. She enters and turns to close the door behind her. Only to find the woman asking she questions, now inside the bathroom with her. The woman locks the door.

_(It can't be good ...!)_


	12. Return to the hotel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy finds herself stranded by a stranger in the club bathroom before he can leave to join Runway members at the hotel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like almost all hackers, Emily has a secret code name

**Andy nervously looks at the woman looking like Cruella Devil who just locked them both in the ladies bathroom of the dance club...**

"Uh, can I help you?" Andy asks carefully.  
"Don't worry, I'll be brief, Andrea Sachs," answer the woman with a predatory smile.  
"What? Who are you? How ..."  
"I'm always ready for a good challenge, we need it when monitoring is our business."

_(Is she ... oh, my god, the Whitehat! I have to get out of here and quickly!)_

Andy slowly slips her hand into the back pocket of her tight black jeans Chanel borrowing from Emily instead. She opens her engraver's phone, sheltered from the other woman's brown gaze. Andy glances back to discreetly send a text message to Emily. Her fingers blindly searching for letters on the phone keypad. Andy tries to appear confident when she addresses the Whitehat.  
"I think you have confused me with someone else," she said, wanting to divert attention from the text she sends behind her back.  
"Andrea ... can I call you Andy?" Ask the woman.  
"Only if you tell me your name."  
"Will that make you more comfortable?"  
"A lot of things would make me more comfortable right now," Andy replies.

The Whitehat looks at Andy before sighing softly.  
"You have a great future if you leave these people with whom you find you right now," she said as if she were talking to a child who had done something stupid. "I don't want to see a promising artist throw her life on career criminals, not everything that shines is gold, darling, real friends wouldn't ask you what they ask you to do, go deeper into this way and your life is over, for good."

_(How did she find me? I thought my identity was erased, this woman must be talented!)_

Andy, presses the send button on her phone to warn Emily that the Witehat is in the club and that she is stuck with her in the bathroom.

 _(Did she see us together instead? Did I unintentionally sell Em's identity?)_  
"Do you think Copperhead would risk everything for you?" Ask the Witehat. "Others have learned this lesson the hard way, only it really matters."  
"Who?" Andy asks without understanding.  
"Your accomplice friend that you just informed of my presence."

 _(Damn it! She's too good, I understand why Em holds her in such high regard.)_  
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Andy trying to look honest.  
"If you wake up tomorrow and walk the streets of Paris to realize how much you love your freedom, go to Interpol and ask for the Elias-Clarke division," says the Witehat. "It is not too late to conclude an agreement, but it will be later."

The Witehat lights a penny and leaves the  
bathroom leaving Andy stunned, this one  
takes out her phone and sends a message to Emily.

_(I can't risk revealing Em's identity.)_

'I meet you at the hotel, she only came here for me at the moment.' Text Andy.

Andy's engraver vibrates with an incoming message from Emily.

'Be careful!' _\- Emily_

_(I gave up caution when I decided to work with the Golden Runway, now I have to be good to escape from the club discreetly.)_

**A few hours later...**

Andy has a very long walk with a picturesque Parisian sunrise painted in speckles of pink and orange. And a good dose of chocolate croissants allows she to allay her worries about the night at  
the moment she enters the Runway hotel suite.

_(The only thing that could have helped more would have been to have a great dawn adventure through the city with Em.)_

**To Andy's surprise, the Runway is completely awake and sitting around the common area...**

Emily is visibly absent.

 _(She must have needed time alone after the night we had.)_  
"I brought the breakfast," announces Andy with one of her megawatt smiles.

Nigel quickly approaches to look inside the bag filled with pastry with a eager smile.  
"You read my mind," he said to Andy.  
"It's not a difficult task to do when what's in your head is always food, booze and boom," said Roy amused with folded arms.  
"The simple pleasures of life," replies the other man in the group, shrugging one shoulder.  
"Don't take any pastry, Nigel," said Serena before turning to Andy. "I hope there are croissants in this bag."  
"Of course!" Andy exclaims with enthusiasm.

After retrieving a basket from the kitchen, Andy spread it out on the low table in the common room. The group meanders for  
make their choice.  
"Did I say or not that this one is an angel?" Said Nigel pointing to Andy.

Nigel leaves Andy a place on the sofa and she sits down as if she is part of the group.

 _(It's nice.)_  
"How was your first evening with Em, darling?" Jocelyne asks nicely.  
"It was great!" Andy answers. "I mean, we  
were working, but it was still fun."

 _(Except for the part of almost getting caught.)_  
"All the work and no play will make you a very girl dull, quérida," said Serena before smiling at her boss. "Right, Miranda?"

Miranda stares at Serena who could surely freeze most people on the spot  
"Uh ... how long has Em been in her room?" Asks Andy trying to lighten the mood. "Should I bring her a croissant?"  
"She hasn't come back yet," Miranda answers dryly, pursing her lips.

Andy feels a knot forming in the pit of her stomach.  
"Oh," breath Andy worried. "Do you know where she is?"

 _(Is the Witehat taking it? If it is, it's all my fault.)_  
"She was adamant about finishing the tests the device," informs Roy.  
"Emily will come back when she's done, that's all," said Miranda.

 _(I thought it was already done and that she had beaten me here, I took my time to return to the hotel in order to get rid of the tail that could follow me.)_  
"We parted after leaving the club," explains Andy. "You do not not think something happened to she, right?"  
"She's a big girl," said Serena. "She is more than able to fend for herself."

_(Ok, I need to tell them about the Witehat ...)_

**But before Andy can open her mouth, she hears the door lock mechanism...**

A moment later, it opens and Emily enters  
the suite.

 _(I want to jump and hug her, but I know how it would end.)_  
"I'm so glad you're back!" Exclaims Andy.

Emily looks at Andy with a slight frown  
"Oh yes, why that?" She asks, rolling her eyes.  
"What do you mean?" Andy wonders, blushing.  
"I live here," mention the redhead. "Of course I'm back."  
"I just thought that something could have happened to you," sighs the brunette.

Andy gives Emily a worried look don't look her in the eye. She catches a pastry instead.  
"What about Whit ...?" starts asking Andy.

Emily rushes to Andy and runs her hand around of the youngest's arm. She blames Andy for herself and speaks to she in a low voice.  
"I have to talk to you in private," she said coldly clenched teeth. "Right now!"

Emily and Andy both move to go hurriedly towards the redhead's room.  
"Lovers quarrel?" Teases Nigel.  
"No mood, Nigel!"

Emily throws the words behind her as she and Andy head down the hall to the hacker's room.


	13. Worry and tracker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily drags Andy in her room to have a discussion with her then the next day the young woman tries to work in vain until the hacker decides to change her ideas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Given the number of comments on this subject on all my stories, I will change the style of my writing so that the quotation marks become the words and the (...) thoughts in italics, that will do one chapter at a time 
> 
> I also specify that only my story of the assistant of Minerva has a beta (thank you again seriesly ) so the rest of my stories could still have faults, hoping that this does not prevent you from appreciating them

When Andy and Emily enter the redhead's room, the latter closes and locks the door behind they. Her face is filled with anger.  
"Give me your phone!" She orders Andy.  
"Could follow him."

Andy takes the burner out of the back pocket of her pants and places it in Emily's outstretched hand. She opens it and starts to hit the keys and navigate through the device.  
"She stuck me in the bathroom and she knew my name and everything, I have no idea how she ..." said Andy nervously.  
"She?" Emily is surprised. "Is the witehat a woman? What did she say? Did she hurt you? "  
"She wants me to give the Golden Runway to Interpol, Elias-Clarke in particular."  
"Do you have?"  
"No! How can you ask me that ?!" Andy takes offense.  
"Take off your T-shirt." Said Emily  
"What?"  
"I need to get you real for any surveillance or tracking device."

_(Is she serious? Does she have so little confidence in me?)_

Andy hastily withdraws her bell. She never saw this frenzied energy from Emily before.

_(It's not like everything was quiet like a walk in the park, but it's the most hectic I have seen it.)_

Emily traces the seams of Andy's shirt with her fingers examining each point. She runs her hands over the fabric in search of inconsistencies.  
"It's okay," Emily finally declares, relaxing a bit, then looks at Andy.

Andy then watches with surprise a wave of embarrassment spreading on Emily's face. The redhead looks elsewhere, putting the shirt in Andy's hands.

 _(I forgot that I am standing here only in_  
 _my pink and blue cotton bra, there's something fun watching Emily squirm because I'm shirtless.)_  
"Can I put it back?" Ask Andy. "It's your shirt after all."

Emily always avoids looking into the eyes  
from Andy.  
"Yes, that's clear," replies Emily with blushing cheeks.  
"Thank you," smiles Andy.

She slips the shirt over her head and over her body slowly.  
"I can't believe you're letting her catch you," criticizes Emily.

 _(Really? As if it was wanted and then ... it's a bit her fault too!)_  
"Let her have me?" Andy replies. "You told me that my identity had been erased, you said that I had become as visible as a ghost, I am as shocked as you are, and I think that I did a very good job, given what happened, all I could think of at that time was how to warn you, I didn't even think about myself, I would never put you voluntarily in danger, Emily, believe me "  
"You could have taken us both by contacting me," whistles Emily.  
"If you are tired, sleep a little," Instructs Andy unhappy in turn." Or go get your skateboard and go do a turn if you want time alone, but don't make me leave your bad mood, don't attack me, I don't deserve it."  
"Good," Emily growls.  
"Well," replies Andy.

Emily aggressively grabs her skateboard and rings out before Andy can blink.

_(What just happened? Damn it ...!)_

**The next day, in the middle of the day ...**

Andy's pencil hangs over her sketchbook.  
She takes a look at Emily who has been overwhelmed with her work since she returned in the early hours of the morning.

_(Our argument last night left me with an unpleasant blur all day.)_

After hours of work, Andy has nothing to show, except a wastebasket full of abandoned ideas who don't feel good or original.

_(And here's another one to add to the stack.)_

Andy sighs as he tears up the current page from the sketchbook, curls it up and throws it into the trash.  
"She shoots and marks," groaned the young woman without enthusiasm.

_(Things are really bad for me to speak sports_ _.)_

Andy rests her head in her hands with only  
part of the exposed ground between her fingers. Boots of Emily suddenly become visible.  
"I'm pretty sure you actually have to put it on in the basket to say 'mark', "Points out  
Emily raising an eyebrow.

She leans over and retrieves the paper ball from the floor.  
"Whatever," breath. Andy  
"You have a nice little collection here, don't you?" Note the redhead.  
"They all fear!" Said the young artist, "They're derivative and I'm a hack, the end!"

_(I think my endless optimist is dry for the day.)_

Emily spreads out Andy's last attempt with her hands. She smooths the folds and looks carefully the sketch.  
"You're not a hack," admonishes Emily. "You are talented and you have a vision, you are trustworthy, you are everything we hoped to find for this job ... "

Emily then sighs heavily, biting her lower lip.  
"... and I'm sorry," she adds softly, almost as if she isn't used to saying that phrase.  
"It's well," says Andy.  
"No," Emily replies, frowning. "It's not going well at all, I was just pissed off because I'm a bad loser, I don't have a lot of training to be beaten, by anyone, definitely not a whitehat. "  
"You haven't lost," reassures the youngest.  
"And I ... I was worried about you," admits the redhead. "It happened as if nothing had happened. "  
"Seriously," smiles Andy. "It doesn't matter, it's although you're worried about me, because ... well, I was ... worried about you too, I mean. "  
"I have something that could help," said Emily.

She takes a small disc from her pocket. it's approximately the size of a penny.  
"If you put her in your pocket or on your person some pary, I'll always be able to find you," Explain Emily.

Andy, take Emily's tiny device and  
considered. She turns it over in her hand and bounces its light weight in her palm.

_(Part of me does not know how to feel being followed at all times, but above all I feel touched that she cares about me.)_

Andy clips the traker onto her shoe.

 _(So much to satisfy her!)_  
"Okay," smiles Andy. "Now I would not  
never lost to you. "  
"Good," agrees Emily. "It is all good."  
"One last thing," Andy insists. "You didn't lose to the whitehat, you actually won."  
"How do you count?" The redhead is surprised.  
"She was so desperate to catch you what happened exposed, "pointed out the other woman." I know what she looks like she can't say the same of you."  
"I didn't think about it," admits Emily.  
"She's the one who got beaten and it eats her alive," sneers Andy. "Take advantage!"

Emily nods and Andy can see that the idea is a little uplifting.  
"Do you have dinner plans?" Ask Emily.  
"No why?" Ask Andy in turn.  
"When I hit a wall, it means I have to forget everything i'm working on, "replies Emily.  
"It looks like you are sitting, working and nothing don't stand in your way, "said the youngest.  
"I make it look easy," accepts the hacker. "That doesn't mean it is. "  
"You could have cheated on me," Andy smiled.  
"I know exactly what you need," says  
Emily.  
"Oh yes, what is it?" Ask the artist.  
"Dinner show, a few of us do that kind of thing when we have time," said the redhead.  
"Dinner show?" Andy smiles. "What I need to see."  
"So let's go ...! "


	14. Dinner club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily decides to change Andy's ideas by including she in the Dinner Club and then they have a discussion with Nigel about Whitehat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Riso al pollo is a rice chicken dish

**Emily and Andy enter the common room of the private suite of the Golden Runway ...**

The two women find Roy and Jocelyne there chatting over a cookbook.  
"We did it last time." Reminds Roy. "Let's wipe off something different."  
"So, the dinner club, are you three cooking together?" Andy asks.  
"Sometimes we cook, sometimes we go to restaurants ... it's about enjoying good food in good company." Roy explains.  
"You are all more and more interesting by the day." Andy comments.

 _(I think that's the most I've ever heard Roy speak at the same time!)_  
"Good food is the center of all life." Mentione Jocelyne. "We understand that in France."  
"I wouldn't say that about the three of us." Roy sighs pointing at Emily while turning to Andy. "Don't try anything but her pies, trust me on that."  
"But are they worth it or not?" Emily asks.  
"They are good pies." Admits the driver. "I have to give you this."  
"I thank you!" Emily told him.

Andy looks at Emily in astonishment.  
"A baker?" She notes surprised. "I'm in shock, I would never have guessed that about you."

_(Again, I don't know anything about Emily's personal life.)_

This revelation makes Andy wonder what  
other juicy treats lurks beneath the surface by Emily Charleton.  
"Serena asked us to reserve a plate for her." Informs Roy. "She'll be back later and she's hungry, apparently."  
"I could do something for all of you that could be a new dish." Suggests Andy. "Riso al pollo? It goes a long way and it's delicious!"

Everyone agrees and Andy prepares the  
best Riso al pollo of her life. During this time, Jocelyne makes sure that no glass of wine is empty.

_(It reminds me of the good times I spent in_   
_dorms, sharing great food and talking about art, I'm amazed how comfortable I am here as with my best friends from school.)_

**The group of four laughs and eat all night.**

_(I'm quickly becoming a full member of the Dinner club.)_  
"I am full and my bed is calling." Said softly Emily yawning.

Andy gives a slight smile and nods in agreement.  
"It's time for us to retire, my friends." Emily declares to Roy and Jocelyne.

_('Us'? She thinks of her and me as 'us'?)_

Jocelyne and Roy greet the two women and wish them good night. Emily and Andy walk down the hallway to the hacker's room, and the other woman resists the temptation to grab the redhead's hand on the way.

_(I think, deep down inside, she has to fight her too, the best night of my life!)_

**The next day...**

Great food, laughter and the company of the eve let Andy reinvigorate. She is now more determined than ever to create an art installation that defies all expectations.

_(I can tell Emily spent the whole morning in the zone and I'm also very focused, I like work_ _in the same space with her as it.)_

A familiar face is suddenly at the door of  
Emily's bedroom.  
"Knock Knock!" Smiled shirtless Nigel covered in spray paint.  
"Hey, Nigel." Hi Emily. "What's up?"  
"Just break the patterns of this radius of  
concentrated breath." The man answers.

Andy gives him one of her megawatt smiles.  
"Do you need company while you are working?" She asks. "Sometimes it's nice to have someone nearby, even if you're busy."  
"I thought you would never ask!" Nigel exclaims delighted.

The man slumps onto the couch, tablet in hand, while Emily mumbles something about males insisting they can't work in shirts.  
"Good thing you happened when you did." Andy comments smiling at Nigel. "I thought Em was comatose over there, she  
hasn't moved for an hour. "  
"I can't lecture her." The man laughs softly.  
"I'll check your pulse if you have more than five minutes left." Replies Emily. "But you're right, Andy, I need a break and some suggestions to sort this out, do you have a minute?"  
"I have more than a minute for you." Coax Andy.  
"Maybe you want to get a room?" Tease Nigel.

He gives Andy a hinting wink.  
"This IS my room." Emily growls.  
"I just wanted to say I'm happy to help." Andy mumbles her cheeks turning red.  
"Ignore him." Advice the hacker.

_(I don't know why Nigel thinks there is something between Em and me.)_

Emily sigh softly.  
"I really think aloud." She admits. "Sometimes it helps to talk about this."  
"What is that?" Andy asks  
"I'm coming to this all wrong." Explains the other woman. "I'm going around in circles with this Whitehat in a cat and mouse chase, but I never should have played mouse in the first place, I have to reverse it, and put it on defense."  
"How do you know it's a her?" Nigel asks, frowning.

Andy looks at Emily for permission to reveal the details of their night out at the club. The redhead nods.  
"I saw it." Informs Andy. "She approached me at the club the night we were testing the data mining device, she stuck me in the bathroom."  
"Blimey!" Nigel swears. "It's too close for comfort, what did she say?"  
"She wanted me to sell you to Elias-Clarke." The brunette responds  
"Tried to rock our girl." Emily adds.

 _('Our girl' ... Whoa there, Sachs don't take you one step compliment.)_  
"So she's an agent!" Nigel barks angry.  
"Hard to say." Watch Emily with a shrug  
shoulder. "Could be a consultant, hire specifically to follow us, all I know is her hacker name is Stagecoach. "  
"We know more than that." Andy recalls. "She looks like Cruella Devil with a makeover. "

Nigel looks at her incredulously.  
"Andy, did you actually see this Whitehat in person?" He asks  
"Yeah." Sigh Andy. "It was intense!"  
"Do you think you can sketch her? That would give all of us an idea of who we're up against." Suggests the man.  
"Then we could run it into the database and set up a ping for when it gets spotted." Emily mentions.  
"Yeah absolutely!" Gushed Andy delighted to become even more useful at the Golden Runway.

 _(This is my chance to show the group what point I am precious.)_  
"It's just the break we need to do this job without having to worry about Interpol and in particular Elias-Clarke." Nigel proclaims.  
"I would need some time." Indicates Andy. "But I know I can do it."

Andy returns to a new page of her notebook sketch and start to draw the curves of the Whitehat's face. It's a welcome break from working on the installation.

_(There is something soothing about leaving my hand do what she knows how to do without being constantly guessing.)_


	15. Not so much a place as a feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy takes a portrait of the whitehat before heading out for sightseeing with Emily then stopping for a conversation around the hacker's favorite snack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are halfway through this story, hoping you will like the rest

**Emily's room, after the conversation with Nigel ...**

Andy just fell deep into her sketch, perfecting every detail. There is no time that passes for the young woman, this until a sandwich slides in front of her on a plate.  
"Eat." Command Emily.  
"I'm almost there." Objects Andy. "Just a little more ..."

Andy puts the finishing touches on the portrait and holds it in front of Emily for her to see.  
"Do you recognize her from somewhere?" Ask Andy.

Emily shakes her head, pursing her lips.  
"No, but while you were working on this I set up a program that will search video surveillance." She replies. "If she walks past a video surveillance anywhere, we'll know. "

Emily scans the drawing with her computer and the images scroll quickly.

 _(It's really impressive to see her work in action.)_  
"It's going to take a while." Emily mentions. "You want to catch up on a sleeping area  
of Sun?"

Andy looks longingly outside, Paris is still waiting and calling.  
"I haven't left this room all day." She sighs. "Be careful, I might become a vampire and bite you if I don't get a minimum of sun."  
"I'll bite you back." Emily replies with a smirk.  
"To be safe, let's get out of here before he  
don't be too late." Suggests the brunette.  
"If you insist Dracula." Laughs the redhead.

The two women grab their coats and leave in a flash.

**A few moments later, while they are walking in the streets of Paris ...**

Another security camera rotates on their  
path. Emily calmly slides her delicate fingers over her phone.

 _(It's much easier to get her out of the hotel_  
 _this time around I have it to wear.)_  
"What crowded tourist attraction do you want to see?" Emily asks. "I know you have to have a few in mind."  
"It's just the trick." Smiles Andy. "I don't want to look at the same landscapes as the others, there are thousands of pictures on the web, I want to see the little known places, the hidden treasures of this city."

Andy's voice drops to practically a whisper.  
"I want to know Paris, intimately." Add such.  
"Once the job is done, you can have your private love affair with the City of Lights." Emily says rolling her eyes. "For the  
moment we have to blend in with the city, just a couple of faces lost in the crowd. "

_(I don't think Emily can blend in anywhere, she's got something special that I see every time I look at her.)_

The rhythm of the two women accelerates a little and Emily's steps become more precise.  
"Turn right here." She says.

They navigate a street Andy has never seen with a large, ornate and sculptural building at the end.  
"That's wonderful." She observes. "One can only admire a group of people who incorporate so much beauty into their daily lives."  
"I thought you might like it." Emily points out, shrugging one shoulder. "I passed him the other day."  
"And you made a mental note of it." Smile the most young. "So I collapse on you."

Andy turns an adorable look to Emily who gives her a painful smile.  
"It's just ahead." Said the redhead.  
"Where are we going?" Andy asks.  
"You will see." Emily answers mysteriously.

**The two women turn a corner and suddenly they come out of the little street ...**

They find themselves in a large crowd of people jostling each other and taking pictures of the Notre-Dame cathedral.

 _(Ok, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see this.)_  
"It's a famous attraction that's actually on my bucket list." Andy announces.  
"This is not what I wanted to show you." Emily intervenes.

It shows a man with a big professional camera facing the ground.  
"Do you want to go see?" She asks.  
"He could take our pictures!" Exclaims Andy worried about being recognized.  
"Look around, there are cameras everywhere." Watch Emily. "Sometimes the best place to be hiding is clearly visible. "  
"I guess you're right." The brunette nods, calming down.  
"Unless you don't want to see what I wanted to show you?" Ask the redhead.  
"Show me." Replies Andy not wanting to upset the hacker.

The two women start walking in the direction of the man just as he finishes his video and leaves. A young woman then begins to twist her body near the same spot.  
"What do they do?" Ask Andy.  
"It's zero point." Emily explains. "Everything in France has been measured from this point."

They arrive just as the dancing woman makes her exit. Andy stares at the ground to see a copper plate shaped like a stop sign with an eight-pointed star at its center.  
"This is really cool!" She gushes impressing.

Emily shrugs a shoulder with an amused smile.  
"There are all kinds of superstitions about his lucky powers." She mentions. "Twists and coins, put your foot on it and good luck getting you back to Paris, blah blah blah."

_(Worth a try, nothing to lose!)_

Andy puts her foot on the star and fishes in her pocket for change, before realizing she comes out empty-handed.  
"Is holding." Emily said squeezing a penny into the younger's palm.

_(Wonder if I could wish Emily? A kiss from her? Just a little something ... but come to think of it, I want her to give this to me freely, not because of some wish, instead of this, I'm just going to wish something magical to happen soon.)_

Andy throws the penny, in the center of the star and Emily does the same, the brunette gives she a look shocked.  
"It can't hurt." Emily sniffles.  
"I really rub off on you!" Andy comments with a smile.

The other woman looks at her, clearly holding back from laughing.  
"I'm starving." Mentions Andy saving the redhead from embarrassment. "Since you mentioned the pie earlier, I can't get it out of my mind."  
"I know a place well enough for that." Emily declares, motioning to follow her.

**A few minutes later, on a terrace near Notre-Dame ...**

A waiter provides Andy and Emily with two slices of apple pie. Andy bursts into anticipation. She lifts a fork to her mouth and enjoys the dessert.  
"Good?" Emily asks, raising an eyebrow.  
"It is delicious!" Andy exclaims delighted.  
"Not enough crust." Criticizes the other woman after taking her first bite. "A pie is good because of the flaky crust that melts in your mouth, with just the right amount of salt to balance out the sweetness of the filling, I guess there is a place for the tarts, but they are sort of so the sad stepsister of the pie."  
"I didn't know you were such a pie fanatic." Andy is surprised.  
"I'm not really." Against Emily. "It's really my grandmother who has it, she taught me everything I know about it."  
"Do you miss your house?" Asks the brunette.  
"All the time." Emily admits. "These are the people who know me best and love me no matter what."

She then turns a smile towards Andy, almost nostalgic.  
"When I'm homesick, I cook one of the pies my grandma's favorite and, for a little while, I can be with her again." Adds the redhead.

_(She never ceases to amaze me, there is so much hidden under the surface with her, like buried treasure.)_

Andy smiled softly at this.  
"It's cute." She says. "I would be in Ohio right now if you hadn't picked me up, but I don't know if Ohio really felt like home."  
"So are you homeless?" Emily asks with a frown.  
"I wouldn't necessarily say that." The younger sighed. "I'm just ... home to determine."  
"It's the thing about the house that many ignore." Emily mentions. "It's not so much a place as it is a feeling."  
"Exactly." Approves Andy.  
"There is a place I want to show you." Says the redhead. "You want to come?"

 _(I was hoping she would open up to me, and now it's really happening.)_  
"There is nowhere else that I would rather be." Andy replies with her megawatt smile.

The two women gently leave the terrace on which they were able to taste their pies ...


	16. I would love to learn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the end of their tourist day in Paris, Emily decides to introduce Andy to one of her hobbies that is not associated with computers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this story Emily has a sporting hobby

**A few moments after leaving the restaurant ...**

Before laying eyes on it, Andy can hear it. Strong collisions of wheels hitting the sidewalk. The sound of the wind passing at full speed. The two women reach the top of a small hill and the skatepark is finally revealed to the young woman's chocolate eyes.

 _(Of course, I don't know why I hadn't thought about it before!)_  
"Park's poppin 'today." Emily said.

Andy looks around the packed park, skateboarders with their skateboards sliding around a helf pipe and rails  
completely immersed in their Zones, as well as several others trying some more technical acrobatics.  
"A sight to see, isn't it?" Emily mentions.  
"I should have known this was one of your holy places." Smiles Andy.  
"What?" The redhead is surprised.

She moves closer to Andy and leans down placing her mouth next to the brunette's ear.

_(I want to kiss her cheek, she's so close, I'd better not, things are going so well.)_

Andy gives Emily a small smile instead of the kiss she really wants to give she.  
"It's incredible." She told.  
"Welcome to my humble home." Emily says.  
"Is it as difficult as it sounds?" Andy asks interested.  
"Just like riding a bike." The other woman answers. "It's all about balance, is once you've learned ... "

Andy watches the skaters masterfully navigate the open space.  
"It's not like you are modest." Points out Andy.

She gives Emily a mischievous smile.  
"There are a few benches right there." Show the redhead. "But look, you never know when the dishonest boards might get out of hand."

Emily drives Andy onto a bench, then takes off on her high-end skateboard that she just removed from her bag ...

The hacker makes the sport look effortless.

_(As usual.)_

Andy watches as Emily flies gracefully through the air landing each time, her movements become more and more complex. Another skater stops to sit next to Andy and also looks at the redhead.  
"She's awesome, isn't she?" Sighs Andy a little dreamily.

 _(I wish I could do that, it's so cool! No wonder she feels at home here, she owns the place!)_  
"It takes years to perfect this movement." Inform the impressed skater. "I'll be so happy when I get there ... someday."

He then nods in appreciation of Emily's obvious talent.

Emily looks up at Andy at the end of her movement and their eyes connect.

_(Did she want to make sure I watched her? Was this show everything for me? Well, if so, it works, I'm definitely in awe.)_

Emily starts to walk over to where Andy is sitting, a skater pops up and does a kind of handshake with the redhead.  
"Nice" Compliments the girl. "That Bigspin was thunder!"  
"Thank you." Emily said.

She nods but maintains eye contact with Andy before the skater and the skater girl leaves leaving the two women alone, Emily lifting her skateboard to show Andy a little better.  
"Do you want to try?" She asks.  
"Me?" Andy is surprised.  
"I know you can do it if you want to." Emily assures us. "I saw you move your body on the dance floor, I'll show you, let me teach you a little something, Sachs."

Andy tries to stand up straight on the skateboard. She can't seem to keep her eyes on the rolling object.

_(I feel wobbly and unstable.)_

Emily slides her finger under the younger's chin and lifts her head, plunging her into the emerald gaze.  
"Balance starts with your head." Educated the redhead. "Your body will follow wherever your head is pointed."  
"Is that why I feel like I'm going to fall any minute?" Ask Andy.  
"Yes." Emily nods.

 _(It seemed so much easier when I watched Emily do it.)_  
"I don't know if I can do this." Admits Andy.

She gets off the skateboard.  
"A journey of a thousand kilometers begins with a step." Emily wisely mentioned. "Or in your case, a boost."  
"Easy for you to say." The brunette moaned. "You are a pro."  
"I didn't start there." Points out the redhead. "Get back on the skateboard."

Emily takes Andy by the hand and the young woman goes back to the skateboard. She clings to the hacker's hand for balance at first, Emily puts her foot on one side of the wheels so Andy doesn't leave unexpectedly.

 _(Her hands feel like silk.)_  
"Okay." Emily said. "Wiggle your feet over the bolts."  
"Like that?" Andy asks, biting her lower lip and frowning in concentration.

Emily nods and puts her hands on Andy's waist to help she stay firm. The ends of her fingers being gently placed on the belly of the brunette.

The touch on her stomach makes Andy feel butterflies in it.  
"Bend your knees." Emily advice. "You want beautiful soft knees, ready to maneuver. "

_(It's hard to focus with these butterflies that make me feel like I'm on the descending loss of a roller coaster, focus, Andy, listen to her voice, don't think about her hands.)_

Andy bends her knees and wobbles Emily's firm grip on her stomach a little while keeping her upright.  
"How are you feeling?" Emily asks.

 _(You touch me? Incredible!)_  
"Pretty good." Andy answers. "I don't feel like I'm going to fall."  
"Try to put your back foot on the ground, then back on the skateboard." Educated Emily.

Andy manages to move her foot up and down several times.  
"Well." Approves Emily. "Now imagine that you are in a swimming pool, weightless, you don't have to worry about your balance, your body will float wherever your mind says it."

 _(Ok ... now I'm thinking of Emily in a bikini, changing her position!)_  
"Ok, I'm in the pool." Says Andy.  
"Reach that leg all the way back." Emily indicates. "Take a step forward, then a little jump to get your foot back on the skateboard, okay?"  
"OK." The brunette nods. "I am ready."  
"Very good." Smiles the redhead. "I'll let go of you."

_(No, no! I had used to your hands on my body!)_

Emily takes a step back and Andy is alone with the skateboard. She gently pushes her foot, and the skateboard propels her a short distance.

 _(I'm still standing!)_  
"You did it again." Emily exclaims delighted.

Andy pushes a little harder this time and she goes a little further.

 _(I'm kicking my ass right now! Yes! Go on!)_  
"It's amazing!" Hurried Andy. "I fly!"

She is once again pushing the hardest for the moment.

She sails for a while then jumps off the skateboard losing her balance. She lifts her fists victoriously into the air.  
"I did it!" She exclaims proudly.

Andy runs over to Emily who is smiling broadly at she.

_(Is that pride I see on her face?)_

Without thinking, Andy puts her arms around Emily for a hug. The hacker is not going to limp this time and hugs the young woman for a moment.

_(Don't blow this moment making her uncomfortable!)_

Andy walks away, realizing what she's doing  
"Sorry." She whispers. "I was taken in the moment."

Emily looks at her proudly.

 _(I don't even think she gets involved.)_  
"I told you." Emily smiles. "You're a natural, you look beautiful up there."  
"I can not believe!" Says Andy.  
"It's time to go shopping." Mention the hacker.  
"Why?" Asks the brunette.  
"You need your own skateboard and your pads." Emily points out.

Andy makes one of her megawatt smiles.  
"Maybe yes." She says. "It was out of the world! The feeling of having run a marathon."  
"It deserves a beer and a break." Emily says. "Let's go back to the hotel."

She looks at Andy with a sweet smile the brunette has never seen from the hacker.  
"Maybe I can convince you to bake me a pie." Suggests Andy.  
"Whoa, slow down, baby skateboarder." Emily chuckles.

The two women come out of the skate park and head for towards the refuge of the Golden Runway with a satisfaction  
peaceful nestled between them...


	17. I know who you are!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at the hotel after their day of sightseeing in Paris, Andy and Emily finally find out who the Whitehat is

**Andy and Emily are now back in the comfort of the hacker's room ...**

Emily puts her bag down next to her desk and looks at her computer, which beeps.  
"We have hits." She remarks.

Andy looks at Emily's screen and tries to make the web of lines and little box images of women faces that crisscross the map of Paris.  
"Are these all the places she's been spotted?" She asks.  
"Different people all looking like the sketch you drew." Emily explains.  
"There must be fifty women here." Sigh the artist.  
"Fortunately we have an eyewitness." Mention the hacker. "Do you think you can identify her if you see her?"  
"Only one way to find out." Andy answers.  
"Never in the history of the world has nobody said that you didn't have a winning attitude." Emily chuckles.  
"Just let me look at these pictures." Said the brunette. "I'm going to pop that thing!"

_(How could I forget those intense eyes that were stuck on me.)_

Emily conjures up small pictures as larger pictures. She pulls out her desk chair for Andy.

 _(Such a nice woman, even if she doesn't like to show it.)_  
"Take your time." Emily advice. "Fifty is a lot, but it's a great place to start, our whitehat is in there somewhere."

Andy sits in the chair and clicks on the first three images.

_(No none of them, I thought I was lucky and would find her right away.)_

The women all look a bit like the well-dressed agent Andy met in the club's washroom, but none of them are the one Andy and Emily are looking for.  
"This one is near." Andy indicates showing a picture to Emily. "But her eyes are different."  
"Let me cut it down a bit." Emily says looking at the sketch Andy made to compare to the picture the artist is showing her.

She leans over Andy's shoulder and types into the keyboard the date and time of the brunette's interaction with the Whitehat at the club, at the same time changing the settings to make the women's gaze better match the sketch.

_(How can she smell so nice after skateboarding all day? Like honey and sandalwood swirling together.)_

The lines of the map change on the screen as most small boxes disappear with the new search parameters entered by Emily.  
"There are only two left, one of those should be our whitehat." Declare the hacker.

Andy looks at the first picture. It's surprisingly similar to the woman she met at the club.  
"Let's see who she is." Emily said. "I'll be scouring the web to find the matching images."

Emily's fingers click the keys.  
"Bingo!" She exclaims proudly. "Social network profile."  
"Maddington College?" Andy asks, frowning. "She's a student, and she's a  
little different now that I see other photos."  
"That leaves one." Emily mentions.

She closes the profile of the first woman and searches for the other image. Her research begins to populate the screen.  
"A CEO of a bank?" Astonished Andy wide-eyed.  
"Check out some more pictures of her." Emily advice.

_(She looks a lot like...)_

Andy zooms in on the images of the woman in question and the flashes of that night in the club's bathroom overwhelm her.  
"It's her!" She confirms. "It's her!"  
"Are you sure?" Emily asks,  
"Positive." The brunette responds confidently.  
"Let's check out her alleged profession." Mumbles the redhead. "Hiddenlike  
Bank."

Emily's fingers move feverishly, following her rival.  
"It's wrong!" She hisses. "I knew this is obviously an Elias-Clarke cover identity, which means she works for Interpol, you are mine now!"

Andy gets up from the desk chair to give Emily full reign over the space.

Emily types and clicks at lightning speed. Finally, the clicking stops.  
"Well, hi, Jaqueline Follet." She said with a victorious smile.

Andy can see Emily's body relax as the redhead goes through the information from the ghost that had kept her from sleeping at night.  
"Is that her name?" Andy asks.  
"Her true." Emily nods. "Never heard before?"  
"Never." Admits the brunette sorry I couldn't help the other woman a little more.

 _(I feel oddly relieved though, this is Em's world and now she has the upper hand.)_  
"Me neither." Emily sigh. "I thought for a moment that it might be ..."  
"Who?" asks Andy.  
"The world of hacking can take you down sensitive paths." Explains the hacker. "I've mingled with people I don't want to meet anymore."

 _(What does that mean? Things got so painful between us that I almost forget Emily has a past I don't know anything about, and what did Jaqueline mean at the club when she said that other people had learned the hard way not to trust Em?)_  
"She was so looking forward to seeing you again." Emily said seemingly thinking. "Maybe we should give her exactly what she wants."

Emily's face is filled with intensity.

 _(I can see the gears spinning in her head as she formulates her plan.)_  
"I could deceive her." Suggests Andy. "But then what?"  
"We give she an ultimatum." Emily answers.

She turns to Andy more completely.  
"Either she gives up her vendetta against the Golden Runway or we blow up her secret identity." She adds. "Then she's useless as a whitehat."  
"Wouldn't that make her even more determined to shoot you all down?" Points out Andy.

Emily walks to the window and looks at the night sky.  
"It's possible." She admits. "We have a shot at making the right choice, let's sleep on it, we're running out of time, we need this setup yesterday."

 _(I don't want to fail Em, I finally feel like she really trusts me.)_  
"I know." Sigh Andy. "I'm working on it, I swear."

Emily leaves the window and walks over to Andy. She stops in front of the brunette.

 _(Looks like her emerald gaze pierces my soul.)_  
"We got past that." Emily says. "We have to choose something and run with it, with all that we have discovered, our days are numbered if we do nothing and quickly  
so, Miss Sachs, what's it gonna be? "

_(Oh god ... what did I tell her?)_


	18. PIE!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily wants to know what Andy decides to do with the installation and after the artist chooses what to do the two women share it with the rest of the Golden Runway

**Emily's bedroom in the Golden Runway suit after discovering the Whitehat's identity ...**

Andy, stares at Emily who has just asked her what she chooses to do for the installation.  
"I do not know." Andy moaned in despair. "You choose!"  
"You will work on all the details." Emily argues. "You have to choose something you can live with."  
"I want it to be good enough." Sigh the artist.  
"It doesn't matter how good it is soon." Replies the hacker. "It will be too late."

Andy sighs again at this.

_(It's so much pressure!)_

Emily's hand lands on Andy's shoulder, sending the brunette an electric shock through her body.  
"It's time to shit or get out of the pot." Said the redhead.  
"What?" Andy is surprised.  
"Something from my grandmother, she often told me." Emily explains.  
"She must be a firecracker." Laughs the brunette.  
"You have no idea." Nods the hacker.

A tender, almost nostalgic smile lights her face.  
"She's also the smartest person I know and her advice is just what you need right now." She adds.

_(Was this an ultimatum? Determine it or leave it?)_

Emily gives Andy one last persistent look then walks over to her office.

She slips headphones into her ears and disappears into her own world.

Andy remains alone in her corner with her doubts and not no choice but to confront them. She drops onto the sofa.

_(Are my ideas not good or am I too afraid to make a choice? I don't like to feel like this.)_

Andy's mind wanders into the events of the day.

 _(I wish I was still in this little cafe eating an apple pie and feeling at home with Em talking about the pie and her family, funny, she makes me feel like the pie, the texture of the tangy fruit and of the sweet crust that makes you feel at home, wherever you are, guess that's why they call it 'Comfort Food'.)_  
"Wait, that's it!" Suddenly exclaims Andy.

She jumps up and looks scared Emily.

The hacker takes off her headphones.  
"What's up?" She asks. "You're good?"  
"PIE!" Andy gushes happily.  
"Again?" Emily is surprised. "We just had some and ..!"  
"No." Cut the young woman. "Giant apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon, huge round red cherry, we could do it with fiberglass."  
"If it's a ploy to make me cook one." Warn the redhead. "It does not go through."  
"Think about it." Said Andy. "Who can't understand the feeling it reigns over you when you look at a freshly baked pie? Everyone in this art gallery will stop to  
soak up the home when they stand in front of these glorious and larger-than-life symbols of love. "

Emily's face turns into a backwards smile as if to say 'not bad'.  
"I don't know how you would do that." She mentions.

_(I do! Finally, I do!)_

Andy grabs her sketchbook and begins to scribble furiously. Next thing she knows, Emily is looking over her shoulder. She shows the paper describing her vision to the redhead.  
"You see?" She asks. "And that part we'll do with suspension."

Emily thought for a moment.  
"Cool." She approves.  
"He's got the size." Explains Andy. "It will grab their attention, I'm sure, that's all we need."

Emily flaunts her face with a small smile.  
"Now you cook with gas." She says.

Andy stops and gives the other woman a puzzled look.  
"Your grandmother?" She asks.  
"Yes." Emily nods.

**A few moments later...**

The two women look at Jocelyne.  
"Is this a comment on the American obsession with doing everything... how do you say? Super size?" The woman asks with an amused smile.

Andy scans the faces of the other team members to see how her idea is received. She spreads her sketches out on the coffee table and watches them bend over for a closer look.

 _(It's so hard to read their faces, I guess they'd be really bad at their jobs if they weren't.)_  
"Go big or go home." Roy comments  
"I always say: why do less when we can do more." Approves Nigel. "I love it!"

_(The men of group seem to like my idea.)_

The Brazilian does not move from her lying position on the lounge chair.  
"Now." Sigh Serena. "You made me hungry, Querida."

Miranda takes one of the sketches and examines it closely.  
"How would that work with Emily's device?" She asks.

Emily gives her boss a small smile.  
"It works Perfectly." She replies. "We would make a hidden compartment to house it in the pie and use some sort of hatch to access it, the hanging height of this slice would allow us to cover the entire art gallery."  
"What about activation?" Asks Miranda.  
"Triggered by pictures." Emily explains. "If a member of the crowd takes a picture for their Facebook, Instagram or whatever, and we collect all of their information, the test went well."

Miranda seems deep in thought.

 _(I know this is Em's first time in charge of one of their operations, and I want it to be perfect for her, she wouldn't say out loud to me, but I know she wants to prove something thing to Miranda.)_  
"I can make sure we get the 'in the room' marks." Mentionned Serena. "It'll be easier than a Kansas Shuffle Ville, isn't it, Jocelyne? "  
"Yes." The other woman nods. "But not also amusing. "

_(So Serena and Jocelyne are in! Yes! I was so worried that they would think it wouldn't work for the job at hand.)_

Roy retrieves another sketch from the table.  
"I know a guy who can build this out of fiberglass." He informs.  
"Really?" Andy is surprised. "This is exactly what I need!"  
"He's fast too." Roy adds.  
"Well." Emily said. "Can you contact him, Roy?"  
"Above." The driver answers.  
"Add the option to self-destruct the device if needed." Nigel advice. "And that will be infallible."

Emily rolls her eyes.  
"Your mind is a beautiful thing, Nigel." She sniffles.  
"You make me blush." The man laughed.  
"You never know when we'll need to chart a way out." Emily points out.  
"Precisely." Nigel nods.

Emily takes a few steps with Andy's sketch by hand. The brunette can see the hacker's mind messing up the different  
components of the work.  
"Hey, Nigel." Emily said.

The man looks at her with hope.  
"No glitter!" Order the hacker.  
"That goes without saying." Adds Miranda in agreement with Emily.

Nigel smiles shyly, picks up his tablet and starts working.

The team divides into sub-groups during which they explain how they perform their respective tasks.

_(It's hard to believe this is really happening! Paris was full of first, a heist to protect the Golden Runway, the biggest setup art I've ever had made? It's something to be nervous about, but I'm mostly excited at the prospect of what's to come.)_


	19. Jacqueline Follet's lifestyle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As she begins to prepare Andy's art installation, Emily spies on Jacqueline which brings a discussion of the pros and cons of being a member of the Golden Runway

**In the living room of the Golden Runway while the group work on the creation of Andy's art installation ...**

Emily takes notes and suddenly stops, as if a thought occurred to her.  
"Lily can spread the word to get people out there." She points out. "She can really brag about this facility so they don't want to miss it."  
"We wouldn't want Interpol's posers, especially Elias-Clarke's posers, to develop." Approves Jocelyne.

Miranda watches Andy intently.

She approaches the young woman and stands directly in front of her. Her behavior is the case.  
"It's a big business." Says Miranda. "Tell me frankly, can you do it?"  
"I was born for this!" Andy answers confidently.  
"Acceptable." Accept the leader. "We don't just need craftsmanship, we need confidence."  
"I am ready." Affirms the artist.

Miranda gives she an approving look before approaching Emily.

Andy looks down at her sketches, but pauses to hear the conversation between the other two women.  
"The plan looks sound." Miranda comments.  
"He is." Emily assures. "It's already in the bag."  
"And what about the Whitehat?" Ask the leader of the group.  
"Manage." The hacker responds.  
"She could be the downfall of all of us." Miranda recalls.  
"I'm on her case." Emily promises.

 _(Em seems to be as usual, but part of me wonders if she has any doubts.)_  
"If she's ever spotted artist." Said Miranda. "Born will she not suspect that this exhibition is an elaborate ruse? "

 _(And I never understood how she found me after erasing my identity.)_  
"There is no connection with the old identity of Andy Sachs." Emily informs. "We have created a whole new profile with no pictures, there will be no way to connect this exhibit to us or Andy."  
"We're counting on that." Mentions Miranda.

_(What she means is they're counting on me, and I won't let them down, especially not Em.)_

**A few days later...**

Emily sits back in her computer chair and spins it around while Aady adds color to some of her sketches for the installation. Cherries begin to appear.

 _(It's real now.)_  
"I don't think I've bothered you yet." Mentions Andy.

Emily huffed, shrugging her shoulders.  
"Jaqueline Follet is about as interesting as looking at painting dry off." She whimpered.

Andy gets up and stretches out after being perched on the small coffee table next to the sofa in Emily's bedroom for a few straight hours.

She walks over to Emily's office and stands beside the hacker. The redhead stops turning her chair.  
"Do you want to watch Agent Elias-Clarke's lifestyle boring?" Emily asks.  
"Oh come on, she can't be that bad." Laughs Andy.  
"I assure you it's worse." Sniffs the hacker.

Andy looks down at Emily's notes and read them aloud.  
"Seven-thirty, leaving home, seven-fifty, arriving at the Interpol offices, noon, going to get a salad at the Rivoli cafe and returning to eat at the office ..."

 _(Every part of her life is laid out in black and white, could I be reduced to this kind of routine?)_  
"Nine hours a day." Emily sigh. "It's life in this office, it's slow death if you want my opinion."  
"She's an Interpol agent." Points out Andy. "There must be at least one interesting thing about her life."  
"If by interesting you mean the stop she makes at a famous pastry shop on her way home, then yes she is exciting." Mocked the hacker. "In addition, she just goes there to buy a single Raspberry-Rose macaroon each day, one that she takes home to eat alone like a lady with a sad cat, it's literally the highlight of her life day."

Andy looks at Emily with an amused smile.  
"What fascinating things would you do if you were a Whitehat?" She asks.  
"To begin with, I wouldn't be a Whitehat." Emily answers rolling her eyes.  
"Can you see everything she's doing?" Ask Andy. "Each thing?"  
"The internal security cameras at her house give me a chance to look in and around her house." Inform the hacker. "Some street security cameras are from shops tracking her car's route and stops, the only blind spot is in her Interpol office, which I can only imagine is a thrill of excitement."  
"Uh ... don't you find it a little weird looking at her with every movement?" Asks the brunette.

Emily points at her computer screen and Andy watches Jaqueline get out of her office and go to a small cafe. She emerges a moment later with a cup of tea in her hand.  
"There she goes on her next adventure." Mocked Emily. "Looking for big answers, Earl Gray or Jasmin? These are the questions that turn her life upside down, which she faces daily."  
"It all feels a little… scary." Andy comments.

Emily shrugs and writes Jaqueline's activity in her notes.

 _(Does the Golden Runway do this to all people with which they interact with? Wait a minute...)_  
"Did you all follow me too?" Asks Andy sharply.

Emily rolls her eyes at the question,  
"Of course we did." She replies as if it was obvious. "We did some research on you, not that in depth if that's any reassurance, but from what little we've seen of your activities, you led a much more interesting life than dear old Jaqueline. "

 _(Guess I should have known they wouldn't have recruited me without doing their homework, it still feels a little weird though.)_  
"I understand." Says Andy. "You don't want Jacqueline's life."

Emily seems lost in thought for a moment, a sadness seems to stretch on her face. Andy puts her hand on the hacker's, which is on the computer mouse, and she pushes Emily to open her emerald eyes.  
"There is one thing I would like with her life." Confess Emily.  
"What?" Andy asks intrigued.  
"She calls her mother every day." Sigh the redhead.  
"Looks like you have to bake a pie so you can spend a remote reconnection night with your grandma." Suggests the brunette.  
"You're never going to stop trying to make me bake a pie, are you?" Tease Emily.  
"Nope." Admits Andy.

Emily gets up from her chair and shakes her head slightly.

 _(Maybe she is trying to let go of any feelings of sadness? There is always so much tenderness when she talks about her family.)_  
"I knew when I joined the Runway what that meant." Emily explains. "Everyone else, they are alone, I would never want to in danger my family and this way of life involves some ... risks."

 _(What danger does she continue to allude to? Who are they confused with?)_  
"But each choice has advantages and disadvantages." Emily points out. "Does this one not suit you?"  
"What about a win / win?" Said Andy shrugging a shoulder.  
"It does not exist." Replies the redhead.  
"It seems pretty close." Against the artist. "I can see Paris and hang out with a cool person like you, hastag Win."

Emily smiles a little and shakes her head.

Andy seriously considers what Emily is saying and remembers Jaqueline's warning.

 _(All that glitters is not gold, would I be_ _ready to make it my life?)_


	20. SMS and mechanics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy receives a disturbing text, she goes back to work with Emily after this and finds out more about the hacker's life

**In Emily's room following the discussion on the hacker's family ...**

Andy looks at Emily while nervously biting her lower lip.  
"Once I am a full member of the Golden Runway, should I leave my family behind?"  
"Once you are a full member?" Emily is surprised with wide eyes. "Whoa, Speedy Gonzales! Put that plow back behind the horse, okay, you haven't even finished your recruiting job yet."

_(She's funny and she doesn't even know it.)_

Andy's mouth widens in one of her smiles  
Megawatt, Emily looks amused as well.

_(It's amazing how a moment of tension can turn into such a quick connection between the two of us.)_

Andy then feels a buzz in the back pocket of her jeans and she pulls out her burner cellphone to see a text alert.

_(Uh, weird, only members of the Runway should be able to text this phone ...)_

Andy opens the text and reads it intrigued:  
"Time is up! Sink with the ship or run away, I have handcuffs in my hands and a date with the Golden Runway ..."

The message signed of course by Jaqueline Follet.  
"What is that?" Emily asks when she sees Andy staring at her cell phone screen.

She then recognizes the panic on Andy's face and reaches out for the other woman's cell phone. Emily in turn reads Jaqueline's text.  
"She's trying to force your hand." Emily notes. "She's sending you this message because neither she nor Interpol have anything on us."  
"But… what if she does, if it's not just some sort of leverage?" Andy asks worried.

_(Would she send me a warning if she knew where we were? She has no reason to try to help me.)_

Emily takes a few steps as she reflects on what Andy just said.  
"Either way, we're sticking to the plan." Let her know. "It's the only way out of this situation, we have to finish the art installation, get the passwords to unlock the internal information of the Elias-Clarke department of Interpol and erase the Golden Runway completely."  
"Okay, I'm going back to work." Nods Andy. "Can I requisition your office?"  
"All that you want." Emily answers by waving her hand after returning the cell to Andy.

_(Ok, my vision for the installation is still so clear, and it's nice to see Em so encouraging.)_

Andy makes a space on Emily's desk and unrolls a large piece of graph paper.

She then pulls a ruler from the drawer and considers the scale of her model.

 _(I always tried to avoid math lessons when I was younger, now that's fine with me. )_  
"I need the dimensions of the exhibition space." She informs Emily.

The redhead takes out her notebook from her top of the line backpack.

She runs her thumb over it, then dictates the measurements of the art gallery to Andy.  
"Did that include airspace as well?" Andy asks.  
"The ceiling is all yours as long as it's doubled, that's what the organizers say." Emily answers.  
"Awesome!" Gushes the artist.

 _(For the first time since I logged into the Golden Runway, I feel in charge of my job, I know exactly what I want and how to do it.)_  
"Have you ever done something like this before?" Emily asks.  
"I made some pretty large sculptures with plaster and a few hanging pieces with thread and fabric." Andy answers. "But never anything so big, though."

_(Except I always wanted to do it! Give me some space and watch what I can do!)_

Andy measures the parameters of the room and crunches the numbers for the scale. Each single cherry will be bigger than a human head.  
"Did you know that's what you wanted to do when you were a kid?" Emily asks. "A giant cherry pie slice architect for Art Snobs?"

Andy laughed a little at Emily's unique humor.  
"It's not what I do." She counter. "I always strive to create works of art that make people, EVERYTHING, feel something special, I want even cynical hackers to have experience seeing my work."  
"I can dig this." Emily said.

 _(Surprisingly, those lonely times when Em lets her guard down have been my favorite times in Paris, not the landmarks or even the yummy pastries.)_  
"I guess you always knew you would become a world class hacker." Teases Andy.

She gives Emily a naughty smile.  
"Actually, no, I thought I would be a mechanic like my Grandpa." Replies Emily. "He would take me to his garage and give me an old carburetor to take apart and put back together, his employees made me feel that I was on the team, the guys in that garage were like family."

Andy looks at Emily in surprise, she surely wouldn't have expected the fashion and design fanatic to be interested in a job as messy and manual as mechanics.

But she sees how the redhead seems to blossom like a flower when she mentions this piece of her life. Emily begins to open up like never before.

 _(That's the most I've heard she talk about in one go.)_  
"The days when there was a lot of work." Continue Emily. "Granny, came just before closing time with a pie for the team, we were all sitting there laughing at the jokes of the guys and eating my grandmother's pie, these are the funniest people you could meet, I felt like the luckiest kid in the world, they were all my family, the one I was born into and the one we all created together."

Andy gives a big smile at this.  
"It seems unbelievable!" She comment. "I would love to meet them."  
"So can you nag my grandma to bake you a pie?" Emily laughs. "I do not think so."  
"Well, she's kind of my inspiration for all of this." Declare the artist by mounting the sketches of the installation. "I would like  
that she can see it."  
"She is?" The redhead is surprised.  
"The look you get when you talk about her." Explains Andy. "The Feeling that seems to come over you as you think of her pies is what I want captured with this installation."

Emily blushed a little at this.

_(Oh wow, her cheeks now look like delicious cherries coated with speckled white chocolate from her freckles, that's cute, more that, Em is the toughest critic I've come across and even she's emotional by the idea of this installation, I'm on to something!)_

Emily walks over to Andy to see what the artist is doing on the graph paper.

_(And I suspect, changing the subject of all the sensations that are now on her face.)_

Emerald green eyes roam the paper and soak up the details of Andy's design.

As Emily leans over the younger's shoulder, Andy hears a growl coming from the hacker's stomach.

 _(Guess it's been a while since we've eaten.)_  
"Let's take a break." Suggests Andy. "I could have a snack at the same time."  
"Already?" Emily is surprised. "I could go on ... but I guess if you really want to take a break, we can."

 _(Suuuure, it's just me, I know she won't say it, but she would love a pie right now, sometimes I think I know her better than she knows herself.)_  
"I just know the right thing for us!" Says Andy.

Emily lightly licks her lips, Andy can see that the other woman needs a feast as much as she does.  
"What are you thinking about ?" Ask the redhead.  
"Something delicious." Answer Andy in a mysterious way.  
"Who would refuse this?" Emily chuckles, rolling her eyes.  
"Oh hey, before I forget." Said the brunette. "Just for my research for the installation ... what is your favorite pie? Like, if you were going to have it right away, which flavor would you like the most?"

Emily thought for a second.  
"These are two different questions." She points out. "My favorite is my grandma's chocolate pecan pie, I rarely see it and if I see it no other pie holds a candle to hers, but my second favorite, since I can't have this one from my grandmother, it's a classic peach pie."

_(Note to self: chocolate and pecans are her heart's path, how can I use that to my advantage now...?)_


	21. Surprise Emily with sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily and Andy take a snack break  
> A little sweet romance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little chapter

After deciding to take a break from work.

Ahdy and Emily leave the hacker's room,  
leaving the room messy with sketches and graphics covering the desk and a few mini models littering the ground.

**As they enter the common room of the Golden Runway suite ...**

Andy pulls out her laptop, watching Roy and Serena lounging around the room.  
"Are you finally getting some fresh air?" Teases Serena.

She takes a look behind her fashion magazine.  
"We need food." Says Andy. "I was going to start eating my sketches."

She types in the search bar of her laptop: Chocolate-pecan pie near me.

_(It doesn't hurt to try.)_

Several pastry shops appear on the map and are all within walking distance of the hotel.

_(She's gonna be so surprised! I know that_   
_I am, but which one makes the best version? I guess I'll have to order one from each location! This way I can't go wrong I will find something she likes.)_

Many of these places have an option to order online. Andy adds a chocolate-pecan pie and a peach pie to her basket and pays. She does it for each pastry.

Emily notices Andy's concentration on her laptop.  
"And what are you doing now, Andy?" She asks  
"Nothing at all." Andy responds quickly.  
"Oh, is that why you look like the cat that swallowed the cananary?" Emily mentions, raising a skeptical eyebrow.  
"Maybe I'm doing some hacking." Said the artist, sticking out her tongue.  
"Is this from the person whose online passwords include ranges as unbreakable as one, two, three, four, five?" The hacker laughs.

Andy shrugs, laughing softly.  
"What can I say? I'm a fast student." She replies.  
"I think maybe we should drop the term  
'hackage' all together." Emily said. "Okay with 'epic' like, come on, everything can't be epic, guys."  
"Is this a talk about overused words or am I stealing your work?" Ask Andy.  
"Both." The hacker responds.

Suddenly, Roy laughs looking at the two women.  
"Do you call that a rant?" He laughs.

He slides next to Andy on the couch and glances at the young woman's laptop. She puts her index finger on her lips, then she leans in to whisper in the driver's ear.  
"I want to surprise Em with a pie." She explains. "Will you drive to pick them up for me? Please."

Roy winks at she and gets up from the couch.  
"Come on Serena, I have some important business to run and I need you to get on the rifle." He said to the Brazilian.  
"Ok." Accept Serena. "But only because I don't have any good magazines to read anymore."

Roy and Serena walk out of the common room in the blink of an eye.

**Only a few moments later ...**

The driver and the seductress are back, each carrying a few bags which they deliver to the coffee table.  
"It was quick!" Andy comments delighted.  
"I was born for speed." Roy declares.  
"I don't know if I would brag about that." Mentions Serena  
"What is all this?" Emily asks, looking at the bags in amazement.

**Roy and Serena exit the common room ...**

Andy can hear the two quarreling and arguing.  
"Ta-da!!" Said Andy with her mega-watt smile.

Emily looks at her blankly.  
"Close your eyes." Advice Andy.

Emily looks at her again.  
"Come on, humor me." Begs Andy with puppy eyes. "You do not trust me?"  
"You haven't killed me in my sleep yet." Emily answers. "So..."  
"I take that for a yes!" Cup the happy brunette.

♥ ️  
Emily huffed, but closed her eyes anyway.

Andy opens several bags and examines them to find the best slice of Chocolate-pecan pie.

_(This one looks to die for!)_

Andy loads a fork and takes a bite.

 _(Celestial!)_  
"Open your mouth, but not your eyes." Educated Andy.  
"We haven't even spoken a word of caution." Emily sniffs.  
"It's the last thing I'm going to ask." Laughs the brunette.  
"Okay." Accept the redhead.

Emily opens her mouth hesitantly. Andy slips a bite of pie on the tongue of the other woman.

Emily closes her mouth and begins to chew. Her emerald eyes slowly open, she looks at Andy holding the fork, then all the pies on the coffee table.

_(I can't tell if she likes it or not, do I went too far?)_

A wide and very rare smile spreads over Emily's face.  
"This is ..." She said.  
"What?" Andy asks uncertainly.  
"So good!" Finish Emily.  
"Better than...?" Ask the brunette.  
"Don't even." Cut the redhead. "You have to try it."

Emily grabs another fork, takes a bite out of it, and offers it to Andy. The young woman takes it without hesitation.

Her chocolate brown eyes close and she relishes the delight.  
"It's orgasmic!" She declares.

When she opens her eyes, Emily looks at her shyly. She then looks at the mountain of pies covering the coffee table.  
"Let's try fishing." She suggests.

Andy smiles at her.  
"I'm in!" She nods.

They sit sifting slice after slice to open containers and take bites. The two women laugh and evaluate the pies by their crusts and fillings.

**After a moment...**

Emily and Andy are sitting around a dozen slices of tart. Full and satisfied.

 _(I wish I could choose, each of them was my favorite, because they made Em happy...)_  
🖤


End file.
